Paraag Marathe to step down from San Francisco 49ers as Leeds United priority explained — Leeds Live 1/8/26

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Leeds' chairman is making a big career decision

James Smailes Head of All Out Rugby League and Yorkshire sport at Reach plc

Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe is set to step down from his role at San Francisco 49ers to concentrate fully on football operations, including as the lead figure at Leeds United.

The Leeds chairman is in his 25th year with the NFL franchise and serves as both President of 49ers Enterprises, who own Leeds United, and as Executive Vice President of Football Operations at the American Football team. That second role sees Marathe very hands on with building the large NFL squad each year for head coach Kyle Shanahan, while overseeing all playing matters at the club. He also sits on the NFL's Future of Football Committee.

Marathe has juggled those roles alongside his growing responsibilities at 49ers Enterprises, most notably at Leeds United and in a now smaller capacity, Rangers north of the border. However we will mainly just focus on football (the non American kind) moving forward, with an announcement now expected imminently according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Having played a key role in the development of Levi's Stadium in California, Marathe now has the redevelopment of Elland Road and the continued growth on and off the field of Leeds United to focus on, while also overseeing 49ers Enterprises' growing portfolio.

More on this story is likely to develop over the weekend with San Francisco 49ers expected to make a formal announcement on the changes as they gear up for the start of their own season soon after the Premier League launch.

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