Following a discussion about the meaning of a "winning culture," Kelly was asked about the need for good players to win. "Yeah, I think everybody controls what they can control," Kelly responded. "We all have a mindset that we have to show up with and that's what we can control so don't worry about the other things."
That brought up Baalke and the relationship that the two have. "I have a great relationship with Trent," Kelly said. "We work every day. He's got a great group of guys that he works with. Tommy Gamble, Ethan [Waugh], Matt Malaspina, the whole group up there. They're working as hard as anybody in this organization and trying to put together a football team. I have a great working relationship. Just a relation, not a working relation, but a great relationship with Trent."
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Of course, Baalke is reportedly very much on the hot seat right now. He is the most likely candidate to be let go following the season. The 49ers are currently 1-13 and have lost 13 straight games. Most attribute the losing to a diminished roster, which Baalke is the main contributor to. The 49ers roster is widely considered to be one of the least talented in the NFL – if not the worst.
Baalke's fate could have an impact on Kelly as well. If an outside general manager were to replace him, there is no guarantee that he would want to retain Kelly or his staff. If that were the case, the 49ers would move on to their fourth head coach and third head coaching search in four years.
What will actually happen is up to team CEO Jed York. Kelly spoke briefly about how involved York is with the team. "Jed's around all the time," Kelly said. "We have weekly meetings."
Kelly confirmed that York is indeed there for the day to day management of the team.
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