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Another GM candidate crosses his name off 49ers’ list

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The longer this 49ers GM search continues, the less CEO Jed York looks in control of the situation.

On Tuesday, Seattle’s co-director of player personnel, Trent Kirchner, bowed out of the race. NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo had the news first.

Kirchner joins New England’s Nick Caserio and Josh McDaniels as candidates who have publicly withdrawn their name from York’s coaching search. Kansas City blocked Chris Ballard from interviewing, who was reportedly San Francisco’s top target.

If there is any type of positive news from Kirchner’s announcement, it’s that his candidacy could be a blow to head coaching candidate Tom Cable. Since news surfaced of the 49ers interviewing the Seahawks’ offensive line coach, the organization and Cable himself have been met with massive criticism from fans and some media members over his credibility as a head coach. It’s less likely York would pair Cable with a GM away from the Seattle pipeline, but fellow Seahawks co-director of player personnel Scott Fitterer has not withdrawn his name yet either.

The more candidates that keep dropping out, the less leverage the 49ers now have. Leverage is obviously more dire in their coaching search. Now Kyle Shanahan and Tom Cable are the only two left, Shanahan has significant power at the negotiation table. And that could mean pulling extra power away from the GM.

Earlier today on KNBR 1050, Shanahan’s former quarterback in Houston, Sage Rosenfels said he thinks Shanahan will want to win little battles against a GM.

“He’s very fiery. He is a guy who will get up on the table and he will say I want this player, or I think this is going to work,” Rosenfels said of Shanahan. “He’s very passionate about what he does. So I think a GM that is flexible enough to, I guess you could say Kyle has a strong personality — which I don’t think is a negative thing.,.So I think a GM that has a lighter personality that will occasionally lose on the small battles, knowing that together they can win the big war.”

Maybe York is locked-in on one of the other candidates. The Green Bay duo of Brian Gutekunst and Eliot Wolf is still in play, as is Minnesota’s George Paton. There’s also the wild card of Louis Riddick, who could still be a strong candidate even without Josh McDaniels.

Until someone actually signs their name on a contract, there will be an air of trepidation in the Bay Area. York has screwed this up before with Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly. He certainly isn’t bulletproof from screwing this up again.

If he makes the wrong move and alienates Shanahan, York really might have to hire Cable. And then he’ll truly know what fan outrage feels like.