Trent Baalke - Pro Football Rumors

Trent Baalke Confirms He’s Been Fired By 49ers

January 1st, 2017 at 3:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Appearing on the 49ers’ pregame show today, Trent Baalke confirmed he’s been fired as the club’s general manager, accordin g to Kevin Jones of KNBR. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported last night that San Francisco is expected to part ways with both Baalke and head coach Chip Kelly, although Kelly has not yet been informed of his termination.

“It was the right thing to do. This is a class organization,” Baalke said. “You know, I’ve been here since 2005 and I have a lot of respect for the organization as a whole, and the ownership, the fan base. It’s difficult, but it’s the right thing to do.

“It didn’t surprise me,” Baalke said. “We’ve done some awful good things. Some very successful seasons. Unfortunately regret we weren’t able to bring a championship to the Bay Area, which they so deserve. I think The Faithful has been great. Wish this organization nothing but the best moving forward. I do see a bright future for them.”

The Baalke-Jim Harbaugh partnership dominated during the early 2010s, rocketing the franchise to relatively similar heights to which the teams of the 1980s and ’90s soared. San Francisco glided to three straight NFC championship games, came within a Baltimore goal-line stand of winning a sixth Super Bowl title and went 36-11-1 in that three-year span. Harbaugh’s departure after a tumultuous 2014 season marked the beginning of a rapid conclusion of this freefall under the 52-year-old Baalke’s watch, with the 49ers going 7-24 in the Jim Tomsula/Kelly seasons.

49ers Expected To Fire Trent Baalke, Chip Kelly

December 31st, 2016 at 7:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers are expected to fire both Trent Baalke and Chip Kelly after Sunday’s game as part of “widespread changes” set for this franchise, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

Schefter reports both are said to know their time is coming to an end in San Francisco, and the ESPN.com reporter notes meetings about the duo’s fate are expected to occur as early as Sunday night and no later than Monday.

Sources also informed NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport a house-cleaning involving both Baalke and Kelly being fired is likely. Ownership is prepared to eat the rest of Kelly’s four-year contract, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets, and met this week to discuss the roles of Baalke, Kelly and Jed York (Twitter link). Baalke still has two years left on his deal.

York, though, looks to be secure in his position. Schefter reports the CEO, along with executive VP Paraag Marathe, will lead the search for Baalke and Kelly’s successors.

While Baalke has long been rumored to be a chopping-block candidate after six years in charge of the team, a consensus on Kelly had not previously emerged. The coach’s willingness to adjust his accelerated offensive pace and reshuffle his staff — including DC Jim O’Neil — played a role in this decision, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reports.

Should the team make these moves, it would mark the first time in 12 years the 49ers will have needed to replace both a head coach and GM. The 49ers did so when they hired Mike Nolan and Scot McGloughan in 2005. That came after the team finished 2-14 in 2004. If the 49ers drop their Week 17 game, it will mark the fourth 2-14 season in the franchise’s 70-year history. It also represents a staggering freefall from Baalke’s early years.

The Baalke-Jim Harbaugh partnership dominated during the early 2010s, rocketing the franchise to relatively similar heights to which the teams of the 1980s and ’90s soared. San Francisco glided to three straight NFC championship games, came within a Baltimore goal-line stand of winning a sixth Super Bowl title and went 36-11-1 in that three-year span. Harbaugh’s departure after a tumultuous 2014 season marked the beginning of a rapid conclusion of this freefall under the 52-year-old Baalke’s watch, with the 49ers going 7-24 in the Jim Tomsula/Kelly seasons.

Despite being hailed for his fast-paced offense, Kelly’s unit has only moved up two spots in the NFL hierarchy, rising from 31st to 29th. It’s a steep fall for Kelly if he’s fired for the second time in two years. In that same stretch, the 49ers’ defense has diminished much further, slinking from the No. 4-ranked unit in 2015 to the league’s worst this season. At 408.yards allowed per game, the 49ers are the only team yielding more than 400 yards per contest.

The 53-year-old coach has not been given much to work with after the 49ers almost completely bypassed free agency and featured a depleted roster. But the team’s win total sinking to these depths after a 5-11 campaign under Tomsula may have nullified belief among ownership the former Eagles and Oregon coach could turn it around.

If Kelly is axed, this will mark the first time a team has fired head coaches in consecutive years since the 1976-77 49ers. San Francisco already holds the distinction of being the only team since the AFL-NFL merger to do this and actually cycled through four coaches between 1976-78 before hiring Bill Walsh in 1979.

Coaching Notes: Panthers, Bears, 49ers, Jets

December 31st, 2016 at 12:41pm CST by Ben Levine

After going 15-1 and losing the Super Bowl last season, the Panthers have taken a huge step back in 2016. The team enters the final week of the season with a 6-9 record, and both the offense and the defense rank towards the bottom half of the league in several team stats.

Despite the struggles, coach Ron Rivera indicated that he isn’t anticipating any changes to his coaching staff…as long as it’s his decision.

“Remember, it’s the same group that was 15-1, same group that led the league in scoring,” Rivera told Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review. “And in the last five years, we’ve had a top-10 defense. So as I look it and break things down, yeah, there’s some things that we have to work on and change. You guys heard me talk about evolving. We have to.”

As Darin Gantt of ProFootballTalk.com points out, Rivera hasn’t stuck to similar promises in the past. For instance, the team relieved special teams coach Richard Rodgers of his duties following the 2014 campaign. Gantt believes that offensive coordinator Mike Shula and quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey could find themselves on the hot seat.

Let’s take a look at some other coaching notes from around the NFL…

Things haven’t gone as planned during John Fox‘s second season with the Bears. The team is looking to avoid their worst 16-game record in franchise history, and blame will naturally lie on the head coach. Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune writes that chairman George McCaskey will likely wait until the end of the season to make any decisions on his coaching staff’s fate. Campbell notes that the organization waited until the 2014 offseason to fire general manager Phil Emery and coach Marc Trestman.
Eric Branch of SFGate.com wonders if head coach Chip Kelly‘s unwillingness to adjust his fast-paced gameplan could ultimately lead to his demise with the 49ers. As the writer notes, the coach wasn’t necessarily put in a position to succeed with a lack of talent on the roster. However, Campbell believes the coach’s devotion to his gameplan could come up during offseason discussions with CEO Jed York and a new general manager (assuming Trent Baalke is fired). For what it’s worth, Kelly hasn’t indicated that he’s willing to change his ways. “I think we always look at everything on a weekly basis trying to see how we can improve,” Kelly said following his team’s overtime loss to the Jets in early December. “You look at the game yesterday: It’s about making one more play than the other team. It’s not like we’re getting taken to the woodshed and don’t have an opportunity to compete and play.”
Jets head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan are expected to receive a “mulligan” from owner Woody Johnson for the team’s subpar performance this season, writes ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. The writer acknowledges that it’s been a tough year for the organization, but he also notes that it’d be a knee-jerk reaction to fire the tandem after only two seasons.

NFC Rumors: Snead, 49ers, Norman, Giants

December 25th, 2016 at 11:20am CST by Sam Robinson

Les Snead‘s job status continues to generate disparate stances, but the latest points to the Rams GM being ousted. Snead is expected to follow Jeff Fisher out the door, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, who notes the five years without a winning record — and Los Angeles boasting the league’s worst offense — will make it difficult to generate enthusiasm from a fanbase the franchise is attempting to grow now that it’s back in California.

Earlier this month, a report emerged that Snead was expected to survive, with another indicating the GM was not long for employment in L.A. With the Rams having lost to the 49ers and dropping to 4-11 — in line for their worst record since 2011, the final year of the pre-Snead/Fisher regime — it’s obvious the more fan-friendly move would be to start fresh.

Here’s more from around the league on Christmas Day.

Neither Trent Baalke nor Chip Kelly is expected to survive Black Monday, per Volin, with a new 49ers GM expected to be able to select his own coach. Kelly’s team won its first game since Week 1 in beating the Rams in L.A., but the formerly sought-after coach steered the team to its worst losing streak in the franchise’s 70-year history. Baalke could land in Denver due to his solid relationship with Broncos GM John Elway, but the sixth-year decision-maker has overseen a 49ers freefall over the past two years after that run of three consecutive conference championship games.
Josh Norman considered overtures from the Bears this offseason but told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune) postgame the sides weren’t on the same page. “At one point they were in the running,” Norman said. “They weren’t talking what I was talking about, though. I evaluate the team as well but if you’re not in the same [area when it comes to pay], you’re disqualified.” Washington beat out several teams to sign Norman, who intercepted two passes on Sunday, for five years and $75MM.
Dirk Koetter did not address Doug Martin‘s future with the Buccaneers after the team’s loss to the Saints on Saturday, noting that his decision to make the running back a healthy scratch came from believing previous injury replacement Jacquizz Rodgers was a better option, per Bradley Handwerger of the Associated Press. Rodgers was a healthy inactive last week. Martin’s $7MM salary next season is fully guaranteed as part of his five-year, $35.75MM deal, but no guaranteed money is part of this deal after 2017.
The Giants clinched their first playoff berth in five years Saturday, but a view around the league is they’ve received a reputation of seeing leniency from the commissioner’s office. This comes after they were penalized a maximum of 12 draft slots for their walkie-talkie infraction. “My understanding is that folks inside the Giants organization, they generally win the jump balls,” Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk said during a radio appearance (via Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com). “They have that working in their favor. The John Mara connection. Look, it’s a league where the commissioner formally answers to the owners, so the most influential owners are going to have the greatest influence on the commissioner. Teams realize [they] don’t have any juice with the commissioner and other teams do. The Giants do. It’s not a surprise.” When comparing this penalty to the league docking the Chiefs a third-round pick for committing a common violation regarding premature free agency dialogue with Jeremy Maclin, Florio categorized the Giants as getting off easy.

49ers’ Trent Baalke Could Land With Broncos

December 14th, 2016 at 2:02pm CST by Zachary Links

According to several reports out of San Francisco, 49ers GM Trent Baalke will likely be pushed out this offseason. If that’s the case, then he may not be out of work for long. Baalke, who has a good relationship with John Elway, could wind up with the Broncos, sources tell Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

Baalke and Elway have spent time considerable together while the two teams held joint practices each of the past two summers. Elway figures to continue as the Broncos’ lead decision-maker, but Baalke could be brought in with some type of consultant title.

Although the 49ers are struggling with just one win so far this year, the team isn’t too far removed from success. In Baalke’s first three seasons at the helm, the 49ers made deep playoff runs. The Niners made it to the conference championship round in the 2011 and 2013 seasons and reached the Super Bowl following the 2012 season.

Baalke may not get to run another team right away, but he is highly respected as a college talent evaluator and could bring that expertise to Denver next year.

Mike Shanahan Could Take Role With 49ers?

December 12th, 2016 at 8:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

MONDAY, 8:18pm: A Shanahan-49ers reunion will not happen, a source informed Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who reports the former 49ers OC and Raiders, Broncos and Redskins head coach will not be overseeing the 49ers “in any capacity.” Florio’s source spoke differently of the team’s plans compared to a Monday La Canfora report made during a radio appearance, one that centered around a forthcoming 49ers decision to bounce CEO Jed York of the football-operations side of the team and bring in Shanahan or someone else to run the football side.

La Canfora reported John and Denise York would not be replacing Jed York but instead hire someone else to oversee the football ops. Florio reports a Jed York demotion will not occur.

SUNDAY, 11:33am: A report last week indicated a “growing sense” that the 49ers will fire general manager Trent Baalke at the end of the season, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com now reports that it would be a “mild surprise” if Baalke were to be retained. One candidate to fill a role with San Francisco — whether in the club’s front office or in a coaching capacity — is longtime NFL coach Mike Shanahan, according to La Canfora.

Shanahan, 64, interviewed for the 49ers’ head coaching vacancy in each of the past two seasons, and was thought to have finished second to Chip Kelly for the job earlier this year. However, with Denise and John York set to take an active role in the franchise, Shanahan’s name could once again pop up, as he’s spoken to the couple about club openings in the past. Shanahan reportedly wanted to part ways with quarterback Colin Kaepernick if he secured the San Francisco job earlier this year, and while that may have caused him to miss out on the gig at the time, a wish to release Kaepernick now presumably wouldn’t be a hindrance.

However, most reports indicate that Kelly should be safe, which could mean that Shanahan would instead be targeted for an executive role. Shanahan has never worked as a general manager, but he has exerted personnel control over his rosters as a head coach in his previous stops.

“Growing Belief” 49ers Will Fire Trent Baalke

December 4th, 2016 at 5:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the 49ers’ post-Jim Harbaugh swoon plunges toward rock bottom, the franchise may be angling for a full-scale rebuild — one that would not include Trent Baalke.

A “growing belief” exists the 49ers will move on from the sixth-year GM after this season, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hears. Such talk should not exactly be unexpected considering San Francisco’s freefall over the past three years.

The last update on Baalke’s status came in October, when the 49ers had lost merely five games in a row, and the GM was not considered to be bound for the front office unemployment line. The 49ers are now preparing to snap a franchise-record 11-game losing streak, leading to Baalke’s tenuous status.

Florio points out, though, the organization could look to promote assistant GM Tom Gamble. That would create a smoother transition since Chip Kelly is not expected to be let go after one season despite said said unfolding historically poorly. Bringing in an outside hire and refusing to allow him to hire his own coach for at least a season would certainly bring an awkward arrangement.

Kelly benched Colin Kaepernick, about whom it was reported earlier today would opt out of his restructured contract after this season, and the 49ers on Sunday finished with a net six passing yards — the second-fewest in the franchise’s 70 years of existence. The loss dropped them to 6-22 without Harbaugh after the team started 44-19-1 in Baalke’s first four years.

49ers Won’t Fire GM Trent Baalke?

October 20th, 2016 at 10:29am CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers are 1-5 and it doesn’t sound like Chip Kelly‘s first season in SF will result in a playoff berth. Still, GM Trent Baalke‘s job is not in jeopardy at this time, according to a source who spoke with Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).

The Niners have struggled on both sides of the ball so far this season. After getting off to a rough start with quarterback Blaine Gabbert, the team decided to give the starting job back to Colin Kaepernick. In his debut last weekend, No. 7 completed just 13 of his 29 passing attempts as San Francisco got blown out at Buffalo. Meanwhile, the 49ers’ defense has allowed more than 30 points in four of its past five games.

Despite the team’s problems, the 49ers still believe that Baalke is the right guy to select the right players for Kelly, according to Cole’s source. Personally, I’m still skeptical as to whether Baalke will be retained for a seventh season in San Francisco if things do not improve.

Breer’s Latest: Kaep, Tannehill, Ravens, Bills

October 13th, 2016 at 8:31pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick is set to return to the 49ers’ starting lineup this week, but his NFL future was in doubt as recently as last year. At least two teams that looked into Kaepernick as a potential trade acquisition had questions about whether he wanted to continue playing, reports Albert Breer of TheMMQB. Kaepernick ended up staying in San Francisco, of course, and will now take over head coach Chip Kelly‘s offense. If Kaepernick fails under Kelly, the league might not regard the 28-year-old as a viable option anymore, writes Breer, who notes that his career hangs in the balance. “This offense gives him the best chance, no doubt,” one 49ers source said of the mobile Kaepernick, who could become a free agent at season’s end.

NFC Notes: Bears, Lions, Gettleman, Baalke

October 9th, 2016 at 8:11pm CST by Rory Parks

Bears kicker Connor Barth missed a pair of field goals during his team’s six-point loss earlier today. Through five games, the 30-year-old has connected on five of his eight attempts, and Barth has been around the league long enough to recognize that the Bears will probably explore the kicker market.

“Nothing surprises me these days,” he told Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s the NFL. So just gotta go back to work. Like I said, those are kicks I usually make. I gotta make them.”

Coach John Fox was non-committal when discussing Barth’s roster status, but he wasn’t ready to lay all of the blame on his kicker.

“We look at everything every week,” coach John Fox said. “But I don’t think that’s on one guy, by any stretch.”

The veteran was signed by the Bears right before the season, with the 30-year-old replacing long-time kicker Robbie Gould.

We took a swing around the AFC earlier today, now let’s round up a few more notes from around the NFC…

Ezekiel Ansah has been dealing with a high ankle sprain since Week 2, but according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter), tests have revealed that the injury is no more serious than that. Caplan reports that Ansah will not require surgery and the Lions are optimistic we will begin practicing soon.
Kyle Meinke of MLive.com does not expect Lions head coach Jim Caldwell to be fired mid-season, especially since he is still well-respected and even revered by his players. However, he will surely not survive into 2017 if the team does not show dramatic improvement over the remainder of the 2016 campaign.
The Panthers’ secondary is a mess right now, and as David Newton of ESPN.com writes, there is really no one else to blame but GM Dave Gettleman. Newton observes that the one area Gettleman hasn’t spent money on is the secondary. He has put together that unit in piecemeal fashion with midrange draft picks and older veterans who came cheap, letting starters like Captain Munnerlyn and Josh Norman walk because they didn’t fit into his financial plan. Now, Gettleman’s approach is starting to catch up with him.
Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com believes that 49ers GM Trent Baalke is on the hot seat, largely as a result of his repeated failure to address the team’s weaknesses at impact positions. The problem is that there is nothing Baalke can do to strengthen the team for the final 11 games, so if San Francisco does not improve on its own, Baalke’s tenure with the club could be over.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.