On Saturday, prior to the 49ers' game against the Rams in Los Angeles, Baalke touched on the fact that the team has not addressed the quarterback position, despite that being a glaring need for multiple seasons now. "Hindsight is always 20-20," Baalke said – as transcribed by Kevin Jones of KNBR. "And certainly, looking back on it, there were some opportunities for us to make some decisions to add a quarterback. Whether that be out of the draft or free agency, or a player that was on the street that had left his team. We've had opportunities, we've chosen not to, and that points directly to me. That's a decision that I made at the time — right, wrong or indifferent, (we) can't look back now."
Robinson was asked if Baalke seems like he knows what the situation is. The general manager is very much on the hot seat and is the leading candidate to be fired at the end of the season, which finishes up on Sunday when the 49ers host the Seattle Seahawks.
"Trent understands," Robinson said. "And I do know him decently enough and I like him personally so this is a tough one because you ask separate personal from professional. So if I can try to do that, professionally, he gets it. He understands exactly where this situation is and I think he's prepared for whatever decision ownership makes – whichever decision they make. It's probably a two-choice one and he's right either way.
"I like this about Trent. He's a standup guy and that's why I asked him the question. He didn't know I was going to ask him Saturday about quarterback. When you look at the Goff situation, you see how a franchise put it all in to draft a quarterback. You haven't, in your 10 years as GM, basically, that's not a path you took. And even in the second or third rounds in the last five years, no quarterbacks.
"And he admitted, he said, 'Yeah,' that's something that he's going to look back on, whenever that time is, and question. That's probably a position that he should have addressed. And there's always elements to those things and that's one of the areas where Trent is also a standup guy about. He'll take the fall, but remember the draft picks are always, even though they are ultimately his call, there's always a collaboration. The previous coaches here were also the ones, once Kaepernick took over, there wasn't a desire from the coaches to have another quarterback in here. That's part of the equation and no one wants to talk about that, but it's true.
"So, Trent takes the fall and takes the heat and it's his job. It goes with it."
Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area has recently reported that, should Baalke be fired, the most likely landing spot for him would be with the Denver Broncos – perhaps as the Director of College Scouting.
You can listen to the entire interview on KNBR 680.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
Report: Broncos not interested in acquiring 49ers WR Deebo Samuel
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch confirmed Wednesday that the team plans to honor Deebo Samuel's request to play elsewhere in 2025. Whether that comes via trade or release remains uncertain. "Hopefully, we find a great place," Lynch said. "Then we'll have to make... -
Jets shopping Davante Adams, but a 49ers trade seems unlikely
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the New York Jets are fielding calls on wide receiver Davante Adams, hoping to offload his massive salary before the new league year begins on March 12. Sources: The #Jets are now taking calls on star WR Davante Adams, open to trading... -
PFN predicts 49ers will sign Chiefs LB Nick Bolton
With free agency just weeks away, the San Francisco 49ers could be in the market for a linebacker to replace Dre Greenlaw. The fan-favorite defender appeared in only two games last season after returning from an Achilles injury, only to suffer a setback that sidelined him for... -
Former NFL player explains how 49ers could benefit from paying Brock Purdy $54M annually
The Athletic's Dianna Russini and former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel discussed Brock Purdy on the Scoop City podcast, examining what his next contract might look like. The San Francisco 49ers are expected to extend their young quarterback, and many believe he will soon rank...