49ers notes: Seldom-used and frustrated Jacobs waived

SANTA CLARA – Brandon Jacobs won't be carrying the ball for the 49ers – or any other team, for that matter – during the playoffs.

The 49ers on Monday waived the 6-foot-4, 260-pound running back, who had been suspended for the last three games of the regular season. Another team can claim Jacobs, but he can't join that team until after the Super Bowl.

Jacobs drew the ire of coach Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers for griping about his lack of playing time throughout the season, including a few prolific posts on Instagram and Twitter last month. The ex-Giant posted a number of photos of himself in a New York uniform, which sparked a cyber imbroglio with fans.

"I am on this team rotting away so why would I wanna put any pics up of anything that say niners," Jacobs wrote at the time. "This is by far the worst year I ever had, I'll tell you like I told plenty others."

The 49ers signed Jacobs in free agency to back up Frank Gore. He ran well in the exhibition season but suffered a knee injury that cost him the first month of the regular season.

He never could surpass Kendall Hunter on the depth chart, and Anthony Dixon was more useful as a special-teams player. Jacobs suited up for only two games and finished with five carries for seven yards.

He saw his most extensive action after Hunter was lost for the season with an Achilles' tear, but he was further made expendable by the emergence of rookie LaMichael James.

Jacobs took to Twitter again Monday after he was waived and was far more conciliatory in his tone. Wrote Jacobs: "Don't be alarmed this was the plan, in saying that I wanna thank them for the opportunity, I wish the team luck in the playoffs."

Paging A.J. Jenkins – Rookie wide receiver A.J. Jenkins finished the regular season without a catch, but Harbaugh said the team is counting on him in the playoffs.

The 49ers have lost two receivers, Kyle Williams and Mario Manningham, since Week 12 and are down to four wideouts on the active roster: Michael Crabtree, Randy Moss, Ted Ginn and Jenkins.

Harbaugh was asked if he was confident Jenkins could deliver in the playoffs.

"Do I think he can? Yes," Harbaugh said. "Will we need him to? Yes. And we need him to step up. Definitely think he's capable of doing that."

Job hunt – The 49ers' director of player personnel, Tom Gamble, will interview with the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars for their general manager vacancies, ESPN reported.

Gamble has spent the past eight seasons with the 49ers and is in the No. 2 position behind general manager Trent Baalke in their personnel department.

Offensive coordinator Greg Roman and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio also could be eyed for one of the seven head-coaching vacancies in the NFL.

Harbaugh declined to say whether other teams have requested interviews, but he said all of his top lieutenants, including special-teams coach Brad Seely, want to be head coaches.

"I've always tried to hire coaches that had that ambition," Harbaugh said. "I like guys like that – that have those ambitions, those hopes, those dreams."

• Read more articles by Matthew Barrows

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