Top 3 49ers storylines in 2015: Turmoil on and off field

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Editor's note: The above video is from Dec. 29, 2014.

The initial move that was announced Dec. 28, 2014, came as no surprise to anyone.

Coach Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers signed off on a “mutual parting,” though Harbaugh later would say he had no desire to go anywhere – not even his alma mater at Michigan.

“I didn’t leave the 49ers,” Harbaugh said on Tim Kawakami’s podcast six weeks later. “I felt like the 49er hierarchy left me.”

[RELATED: Harbaugh: Bowl win would make '15 'favorite year in football']

While 2014 ended with the 49ers playing their way out of the playoff picture and upheaval off the field, it seemed that’s what the entire year of 2015 provided, too.

CEO Jed York was held accountable through the words of local opinionists in newspapers, blogs, radio and TV for the team's tumble into the lower tier of the NFL. Fans began staying away from Levi’s Stadium and a couple banners asking for York’s self-removal were flown behind airplanes on game days.

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The 49ers won four games in 2015 – the season finale comes on Sunday, Jan. 3, against the St. Louis Rams. The 49ers finished last in the NFC West for the first time since the 2005 season.

And here is a look back at the three top storylines for the year:

3) Kaepernick benched: When he signed an extension through the 2020 season, Colin Kaepernick was seen as the team’s franchise quarterback. But just 17 months later, he found himself on the sideline.

Kaepernick experienced a meteoric rise after taking over the starting job in the middle of the 2012 season and playing well enough to get the 49ers within, potentially, five yards of winning the Super Bowl.

His production dropped incrementally the next two seasons while starting every game. The 49ers’ management promised an offense that would best-suit his skills now that Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman were no longer around. Instead, the offense was mocked for being too simplistic under new coordinator Geep Chryst.

There were rumblings about Kaepernick’s lack of association with his teammates. Receivers, such as Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith, were unable to control their frustrations on the field. And after the 49ers staggered to a 2-6 record, the move was made to replace Kaepernick with Blaine Gabbert.

Then, after the bye week, Kaepernick’s injured non-throwing shoulder came to light. He was placed on season-ending injured reserve and underwent surgery. It appears unlikely the 49ers or Kaepernick will make much of an attempt to keep the union going in 2016.

2) Mass exodus: Harbaugh was the first to go. The offseason figured to see the departures of several other significant pieces to the puzzle that helped lead the 49ers to three appearances in the NFC Championship game in Harbaugh’s first three seasons.

But there were also some unexpected announcements, too. Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, Chris Borland and Anthony Davis announced their retirements from professional football, each citing physical concerns. (Davis has suggested he will try to return to the NFL in 2016.)

The 49ers did not re-sign Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, Mike Iupati, Dan Skuta, Perrish Cox and Chris Culliver. Andy Lee was traded in the offseason, and an underperforming Vernon Davis was shipped off to Denver at the trade deadline in November.

The 49ers opened the season with 26 of the 53 players on their roster having served two or fewer years of NFL experience. And it showed.

1) Tomsula tabbed: General manager Trent Baalke, the man who was ultimately entrusted to hire the next 49ers head coach, interviewed at least 10 individuals for the job opening.

In the end, Baalke selected Jim Tomsula, the 49ers’ defensive line coach the previous eight seasons, for the job over runner-up Adam Gase, the former Denver Broncos offensive coordinator.

Tomsula’s approach differed from Harbaugh’s from the beginning. While Harbaugh could be terse during press conferences, he could also turn on the charm at a moment's notice. Tomsula’s introductory press conference and subsequent interview with CSN Bay Area’s Jim Kozimor on "SportsTalk Live" were clunky and awkward.

While Harbaugh was known as a grinder -- and Alex Boone later went on record as saying he "pushed guys too far" -- Tomsula shortened practices and meeting times, and devised schedules that were designed to enable players to benefit from maximum physical recovery time.

Of course, none of it carried over to any success on the field. The offense struggled under Chryst. And the defense, which had been a staple under former coordinator Vic Fangio, was wildly inconsistent with Eric Mangini in charge.

What does York think of Tomsula’s first season? We’ll have to wait until after Sunday’s finale when he promised he would share his thoughts.

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