Trent Baalke to Be Fired by 49ers: Latest Details and Reaction

The San Francisco 49ers will reportedly fire both general manager Trent Baalke and head coach Chip Kelly this offseason, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

On Sunday, Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported Baalke had been informed of his firing, while Kelly would meet with ownership after Sunday's game. 

According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the York family met this week to discuss the future of the team's front office and head coach.

Baalke, 52, has been the team's general manager since 2011. After reaching the NFC Championship Game in three straight seasons and one Super Bowl to start Baalke's tenure, the team has gone 7-24 in the past two years.

Jim Harbaugh coached the team in Baalke's first four seasons at the helm, but the pair reportedly feuded behind the scenes before Harbaugh left for Michigan. Kelly and his predecessor, Jim Tomsula, haven't come close to the success that Harbaugh had in San Francisco. And Baalke hasn't provided either coach with a competitive roster after players like Patrick Willis, Chris Borland and Anthony Davis retired, Michael Crabtree and Frank Gore left in free agency and Aldon Smith was released due to legal issues.

Baalke also put his eggs in the basket of quarterback Colin Kaepernick, signing him to a six-year, $126 million contract extension in 2014. Kaepernick has found himself benched for large chunks of the past two years, however, and has regressed since leading the team to the Super Bowl in the 2012 season.

Baalke may not be without a job for long, however. Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area reported earlier in December that "the most likely landing spot for Baalke is under John Elway in the Denver Broncos' personnel or scouting department if 49ers CEO Jed York fires Baalke."

Meanwhile, moving on from both Baalke and Kelly—as opposed to retaining Kelly after just one season—makes sense for San Francisco. The Niners haven't put a winning product on the field in two seasons, which falls on Baalke, and it will be difficult to lure a top candidate to San Francisco without giving the team's new general manager the opportunity to hire his own coach. 

A clean break, in other words, is the only way the 49ers can start fresh in 2017. After the past two seasons, it would appear to be exactly what the organization needs.

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