The San Francisco 49ers are expected to clean house following Week 17, with reports the team will fire general manager Trent Baalke and head coach Chip Kelly. It is possible this could change, but at this point, it is safe to say the 49ers are probably going to be in the market for a general manager and head coach.
For the time being, they are the only team in the general manager market. Odds are pretty good another GM or two will be fired, but thus far that has not happened. There is an intriguing market of options that may or may not be available, and this hire will really dictate where things go moving forward. The team will almost assuredly hire their general manager first (and/or an overarching leader of football operations), and then he will hopefully lead the coaching search.
It is certainly possible the 49ers could hire a single person to handle the coach/GM role, but my guess is we see separate people in the roles. And when the 49ers do end up in the coaching search, they will be competing with at least four other teams, and potentially more. Here are the openings we know about:
1. Buffalo Bills - fired Rex Ryan
2. Jacksonville Jaguars - fired Gus Bradley
3. Los Angeles Rams - fired Jeff Fisher
One other likely opening appears to be the Denver Broncos. Adam Schefter and others are reporting Gary Kubiak is expected to step down due to health concerns. There is also some consideration that the Detroit Lions might fire Jim Caldwell if they do not beat the Green Bay Packers on Sunday and thus miss the playoffs. This is speculation from people outside the Lions organization, so take it with a grain of salt.
We’ll be keeping an eye out for all the rumors, but for now, that is where things stand. Black Monday is less than 24 hours away, and the complete picture of job openings will likely be known by the end of Monday.
Fooch’s update: The Indianapolis Colts can likely be added to this list, although it is unclear if it will be the coaching staff or front office that could see changes. Or maybe both.