Five weeks before the San Francisco 49ers will make some critical decisions regarding their future on the football field with two selections in the first round of the draft, the team is without its general manager.

Nancy Gay of AOL Fanhouse reports that Scot McCloughan is out as the team’s general manager a little more than 12 hours after Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rose Democrat reported that McCloughan might be considering stepping down from his post.

It’s stunning move considering the timing of the decision regardless of how it was made and whether McCloughan is leaving on his terms of the terms of someone else in the organization.

“I’m fine and moving forward,” McCloughan sent Gay in a text message.

Gay described the final move as a “mutual decision” and wrote that “longstanding personal issues” were in play. It could be that the finger prints of coach Mike Singletary are on the decision somewhere. Singletary reportedly has final say over the 53-man roster, a power that many GMs hold onto – and that he could be flexing more muscle in the scouting process. The Niners will pick 13th and 17th in the first round.

McCloughan joined the franchise in 2005 when former coach Mike Nolan hired him as a personnel man. He was later promoted to general manager. McCloughan’s agent Peter Schaffer told multiple media outlets that his client was not resigning. Expect an announcement from the club at some point.

Keep in mind this leaves a franchise with an extremely young and inexperienced leader, Jed York, in place. It will be incumbent upon York, at a time when the Niners are trying to rally local support for a new stadium, to put his best foot forward and paint this as ultimately a positive move for the club.

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