Jerry Rice Says Jim Harbaugh is Out in San Francisco
The San Francisco 49ers are currently in the midst of their toughest season under head coach Jim Harbaugh. At 4-4 and three games behind the division leading Arizona Cardinals, there is a possibility that this team will actually miss the playoffs for the first time in four years under the head coach.
This doesn’t even take into account all the off-field speculation that has surrounded the 49ers in recent months, including various reports indicating that players on the team want Harbaugh fired and that he will not return to the 49ers next season.
Add Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice to the list of former 49ers who believe Harbaugh will not return to San Francisco in 2015.
I think he’s (Harbaugh) gone.
The league’s all-time leading receiver also had this to say about the overall situation in San Francisco (via SI.com).
With Jim Harbaugh, there’s a lot of questions out there right now. We don’t really know if he wants to come back and be the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers…Maybe that’s starting to wear and tear on the team and it’s taking its toll.
Rice also focused on how the reported issues between Harbaugh and the team’s general manager Trent Baalke might be impacting the players.
The team, they try to say, ‘Well, we’re not affected by it.’ But you are, because (the coach and GM) have to make very crucial decisions that are really going to benefit the team. There’s a lot going on with that organization right now and I think it’s starting to hurt the players down there in the locker room.
With a difficult slate of games in the second half of the season that includes the New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals and two outings against the Seattle Seahawks, the decision to let Harbaugh go could potentially be made on the field. Let’s say San Francisco finishes under .500 in a season that started with Super Bowl expectations. That could make the decision to let Harbaugh go much easier.
As it is, don’t expect the team and its head coach to panic. Remember, the 49ers were 6-4 and in the midst of a two-game losing streak in November of last year. They ended up winning eight consecutive games before a last-minute loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship game.
Every time the 49ers have faced adversity under Harbaugh, they have found a way to rebound on the field. If that happens again, all this talk about Harbaugh’s job security will be muted…at least temporarily.
