The San Francisco 49ers reportedly have a new defensive coordinator to take over the position after Robert Saleh left to take the Tennessee Titans head coach job.
On Feb. 1, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported, citing a source, that the Niners are hiring former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris to be their defensive coordinator. Morris was one of three candidates that San Francisco spoke to over their opening.
On Jan. 29, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco reported, citing a source, that the 49ers had interviewed Morris, Joe Woods, and Gus Bradley for their vacant defensive coordinator position.
Despite Bradley and Woods having the inside connection to the Niners, it’s Morris, who was the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams from 2021 to 2023, who ended up with the position.
In his time with the Rams, Morris had Aaron Donald as the marquee face of his defense, and now, with the 49ers, he will be inheriting Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. It will be interesting to see how the new San Francisco defensive coordinator uses his two top defensive players next season and whether he can boost a unit that recorded only 20 sacks, ranking last in the NFL.
Raheem Morris Was Best Candidate for the Niners DC Job
Meanwhile, 49ers reporter Grant Cohn for On SI recently shared that, among the three candidates, Morris was the best, ahead of Bradley and Woods.
“Then you got Raheem Morris, who’s legitimately an excellent defensive coordinator,” Cohn said in a video posted on X on Jan. 29. “No sarcasm whatsoever. He was the defensive coordinator for the Rams a few years ago when they won the Super Bowl, and he has head coaching experience. He would be pretty great, except he doesn’t run the wide nine, and the Niners would have to evolve. Oh my God, what a nightmare. Then there’s Gus Bradley, who hasn’t evolved at all in the last 15 years.
“Of course, the Niners brought him in so he could study Robert Saleh, who evolved all the time, and they’re really hoping that Gus Bradley won’t be the next Steve Wilks, who was brought in to run someone else’s scheme. If the choice comes down to Gus Bradley and Raheem Morris, it’s a no‑brainer. It’s got to be Morris.”
49ers Needed to Avoid Joe Woods
Moreover, Cohn warned the 49ers regarding going with Woods, since the coach had been a defensive coordinator in the past and failed.
“Joe Woods was actually on the Niners staff in 2019 when they went to the Super Bowl,” Cohn added. “He was the defensive pass game coordinator and DB specialist under Robert Saleh. People thought he was really important. I thought he was really important. He got the defensive coordinator job with the Browns, failed.
“Then he got the defensive coordinator job with the Saints, failed. Then last year he was back as a pass game guy with the Raiders, which is the worst team in the league. I’m guessing he won’t be the guy. He might be on the staff at some point, but he probably won’t be the defensive coordinator.”
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