Brian Gutekunst has decided to remain with the Green Bay Packers and will not pursue the general manager job with the San Francisco 49ers, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Gutekunst received a new deal to remain in Green Bay.
Packers exec Brian Gutekunst has decided to remain in Green Bay and not pursue 49ers GM job, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 20, 2017
Packers gave Brian Gutekunst a new deal, just as they did with Eliot Wolf, per source. 49ers GM search wide open.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 20, 2017
Gutekunst was considered to be the frontrunner to replace former 49ers general manager Trent Baalke in San Francisco. He was among the names of candidates that were expected to meet with the 49ers and Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who is expected to be the team's next head coach, for a second round of interviews next week.
Gutekunst has been within the Packers' player personnel department for 18 years, serving as a scout and eventually the director of college scouting. He was promoted to director of player personnel in 2016.
On Thursday, Packers director of football operations Eliot Wolf pulled his name out of the running. Like Gutekunst, he received a new deal to remain with the Packers. That leaves just George Paton of the Minnesota Vikings and perhaps Terry McDonough of the Arizona Cardinals as the known remaining candidates.
Albert Breer of TheMMQB believes that control over the team's roster has been the likely deciding factor in candidates' decisions to drop out.
And there's a big one. Control over 53-man roster likely a factor in Niners search. https://t.co/rQjijbvX5h
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 20, 2017