Frank Gore isn’t happy with San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke, who he says never had a conversation with him regarding his free agency status in 2015.
The 49ers offered Gore a one-year deal to come in as a backup to up-and-coming second-year back Carlos Hyde. Obviously the all-time great declined the offer, instead opting to sign a three-year deal worth up to $12 million to play with the Indianapolis Colts.
According to Gore, Baalke didn’t approach him once about staying or leaving — a fact that still doesn’t sit well with the franchise leader in career rushing yards.
“The only thing I was hurt by was that I thought we could have done it better,” Gore said, via Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area. “Like, no bull—-. Just straight up. I don’t know if I even wanted to go back. But I would have felt better if we would have sat down and had a conversation. I mean, I was going to test the market no matter what. Me and the head coach talked and he basically told me I’d be in a certain situation. But I wanted to hear it from the GM.”
Gore also mentioned his frustration that he was automatically going to be the No. 2 guy in San Francisco.
“Put it on me. I mean, bro, I finished last season with 1,100 yards. Every time I got opportunities, I did something with it. So, I felt like, ‘Fine, if you want to go with the young guy, (make him) beat me out. It wasn’t like I can’t play anymore. If he beats me out, I can handle that.”
Maiocco notes he did reach out to Baalke for a comment but received no reply.
This isn’t a good look.
To spurn a franchise legend like this is reprehensible, but after all the stuff that’s happened the past year-plus within the organization, it seems like this is right out of the Baalke my-way-or-the-highway playbook. Making matters worse, the team’s ownership doesn’t appear inclined to stop it any time soon.
And people wonder why so many players left the franchise this past offseason.