Report Says 49ers May Decide to Sign HC as New DC

Less than 72 hours after falling in Super Bowl LVIII to the Kansas City Chiefs, the San Francisco 49ers fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.

Wilks was in his first season in that role, and while San Francisco’s defense was strong according to the numbers, cracks had formed in what was the NFL’s best defense in 2022.

They have begun their search for a new defensive coordinator, and per ProFootballTalk via Dov Kleiman, they may look to hire former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley.
Staley himself was fired after two seasons and change at the helm of the Chargers after they got embarrassed, 63-21, in Week 15.

Overall, he went 24-24 with L.A., and when he got them to the playoffs, they blew a 27-0 lead and lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

Staley’s Chargers teams were never strong defensively, but in 2020, he was the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator under head coach Sean McVay, and that year, they were tops in points, total yards, passing touchdowns, and first downs allowed

The 49ers still have arguably the NFL’s most talented squad, especially on defense, where they boast the likes of Nick Bosa, last year’s Defensive Player of the Year, Fred Warner, Charvarius Ward, and Javon Hargrave.