JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jaguars have hired former San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke to be the director of player personnel, the team announced Tuesday.
Baalke spent six seasons as the 49ers’ general manager and hired head coaches Jim Harbaugh, Jim Tomsula, and Chip Kelly before being fired along with Kelly after the 2016 season. San Francisco went 51-44 and made three consecutive appearances in the NFC Championship Game during his tenure. Baalke spent the past two seasons working with the NFL as a football operations consultant.
“He had a lot of success during his time in San Francisco and has proven that he has a great eye for talent and constructing a team, so we’re excited for him to be a part of the organization,” Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell said in a statement. “… We expect him to get involved immediately as we make decisions on our current roster and approach free agency.”
Baalke became San Francisco’s GM in 2011 and hired Harbaugh away from Stanford, and the 49ers went 13-3 and reached the first of the three consecutive NFC title games. That earned Baalke NFL Executive of the Year honors from Pro Football Weekly and the Pro Football Writers of America.
Baalke also drafted quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who led the 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII after the 2012 season, as well as defensive back Eric Reid, running back Carlos Hyde, cornerback Jimmie Ward, defensive tackle Arik Armstead, defensive back Jaquiski Tartt and defensive end DeForest Buckner. Ward, Armstead, Tartt and Buckner all started in Sunday’s Super Bowl LIV loss to Kansas City.
Baalke replaces Chris Polian, who was fired after seven seasons with the Jaguars.
In additional Jaguars news, the NFL announced that defensive tackle Carl Davis has been suspended without pay for the first four games of the 2020 season for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
Davis signed with the Jaguars on Nov. 25 and played in two games. He has played in 36 games with Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Cleveland and Baltimore since the Ravens drafted him in the third round in 2015.