There’s plenty of blame to spread around for the 49ers’ disastrous 1-10 season.
Owner Jed York, general manager Trent Baalke, head coach Chip Kelly and the players on the talent-thin roster all are in some way responsible.
But as the Niners limp toward their final five games, it’s Baalke who says the finger of blame should be pointed directly at him.
In an interview with KNBR that was aired before Sunday’s game against the Dolphins, Baalke said it’s not ownership’s fault.
“You know, they give us everything we need and I’ve said that,” Baalke said. “I’ve gone public with that. If we don’t get it done, put it on me. We’ve got all the resources necessary. Funding has never been an issue at the free-agent market or any other thing that we’ve needed. So, it falls strictly on my shoulders. I’m disappointed with the outcome up until now.”
The 49ers are so bad this year that they’re in the running for the top pick in the 2017 NFL draft. The only team with a worse record is the 0-12 Cleveland Browns. This Sunday, the 49ers will travel to Chicago to take on one of only two, two-victory teams in the NFL, the Bears.
There has been escalating talk the past couple of seasons among fans and media of firing Baalke, but the San Francisco GM says he’s working hard, doing a lot of college scouting and pondering the potential free-agent market in hopes of improving the team for the 2017 season. But he says this season has been a “draining experience.”
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“I feel bad for the fans,” he said. “I feel bad for a lot of people, the ownership in particular.”
Curtis Crabtree of NBC’s Pro Football Talk noted the 49ers are 7-25 over their past 32 games.
“They’ve gone from Jim Harbaugh to Jim Tomsula to Chip Kelly over that span,” he wrote. “Baalke made the decision on installing Tomsula as head coach and in hiring Kelly last offseason. The only remaining place of blame rests with Baalke and the roster he’s constructed.”
The Bears will play host to the 49ers Sunday, with kickoff set for 10 a.m. in the Bay Area.
