Trent Baalke confirmed on KNBR he has been fired as the GM.
Baalke said he chose to still attend today’s Week 17 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
“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.”
Did the firing surprise Baalke?
“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.”
Then Tim Ryan asked if Baalke’s in favor of an organizational re-set. It’s been widely reported Chip Kelly will be fired shortly after the season finale.
“I’m a big fan,” Baalke said of the re-set. “Sometimes you need to re-set the culture. When you have a winning culture, which we did in 2011, 12, 13 and 14, a lot of good football players. A lot of memorable games we went through together. Then you transition. At some point, those veteran guys move on. Blending in with younger guys, and sometimes it takes a little longer than you’d like. And this is probably one of those situations. But I do think there’s some very good young talent on this team. With a good offseason, the right re-set, I think good things are ahead for them.”
Take a listen to the interview: