How 49ers can avoid another potential DC search in 2026

Even though Robert Saleh is returning, it may not be for multiple years.

The San Francisco 49ers are re-hiring Robert Saleh to be their defensive coordinator.

While Saleh looks like a home-run hire given his success with the 49ers as their DC and a rapid turnaround for the New York Jets defense in Saleh’s second year as their head coach, he may also only stick around for one season.

Saleh received three interviews for head coach openings in the 2025 cycle. He figures to be a hot candidate again in the 2026 offseason assuming he helps the 49ers defense return to something close to championship form.

That wouldn’t have been a reason to pass him over. After all, the 49ers didn’t have many other viable options who check the boxes they’re aiming to check with their next DC hire. However, it does highlight the need to have a DC-in-waiting on the coaching staff.

When Saleh left the 49ers for the Jets after the 2020 season, the 49ers knew linebackers coach DeMeco Ryans was going to step into that role and he did so with rousing success. He wound up only working as the 49ers’ DC for two years before landing the head coaching job with the Houston Texans.

When Ryans exited, the 49ers had no such internal plan. They hired veteran defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, but he was let go after one season. San Francisco then tried giving defensive pass game specialist/nickels coach Nick Sorensen a shot. He was also fired after one year.

Now with Saleh returning, the 49ers need to look at their internal staff and identify another coach who can step in after Saleh. There’s a very real chance he finds another head coaching spot in 2026, and San Francisco would be smart to ensure they have a replacement lined up instead of filling time in another offseason looking for a DC.

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Cost of Brock Purdy’s contract matters less than when he signs it

Get it done.

All signs point toward the San Francisco 49ers and quarterback Brock Purdy working out a long-term contract extension this offseason.

There’s always a chance something doesn’t get done, but based on how 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch spoke about Purdy during their end-of-season press conference it sounds like both are ready to do what it takes to ensure Purdy becomes a foundational building block of their offense moving forward.

Much of the discussion around Purdy’s deal has centered on how much he’ll be paid. Some believe he’ll reset the market with a contract in the range of $61 million in average annual value. Others think it’ll fall in the $50-55 million range.

While the structure of the deal will matter more than the average annual value, the discussion should be centered more on the timing for the 49ers.

They can’t afford to let another big-money contract negotiation bleed into training camp. Purdy told reporters on locker cleanout day that he wanted the negotiations to be drama-free. He also wouldn’t commit to reporting to mandatory offseason activities without a deal.

Given how contract negotiations for defensive end Nick Bosa, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and left tackle Trent Williams went the last two offseasons, the 49ers would be wise to ensure they’re paying their franchise quarterback and doing so quickly.

Having a deal with Purdy done by the time free agency opens in mid-March, or at least by the time the team reports to OTAs in mid-April, would set a strong tone for the rest of their offseason and training camp. If they use training camp as a soft deadline again where Purdy is missing OTAs, mandatory minicamp, and potentially parts of training camp, they run the risk of derailing another season before it can get off the ground.

Purdy still needs reps, especially with wide receivers like Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing. He may also be working to get his chemistry with Aiyuk back depending on when the wide receiver returns from his knee injury. The team also just needs its quarterback and team leader in the building.

There are times to pinch pennies. There are times to quibble over certain bits of contract language. This isn’t one of them. San Francisco shouldn’t let themselves just get steamrolled in the negotiations, but they should also have a much deeper urgency and be ready to make some key concessions to get a deal done.

Not getting a contract done and potentially missing their quarterback for the start of training camp pales in comparison to the damage any typical contract hang-ups might cause. Signing Purdy for a less-favorable contract in March will help far more than signing him to a more-favorable contract in August.

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Saints urged to pursue underrated offensive mind for HC opening

Bleacher Report argues the New Orleans Saints should pursue an underrated candidate in Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik:

The New Orleans Saints are one of the teams still looking for a new head coach and are also considered to be one of the least-desirable jobs in the market.

With some top options potentially looking elsewhere, knowing they could potentially land at an easier spot, the Saints could be forced to look at one of the less sought-after coaches this cycle.

Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport found someone that fits that bill, but is also very promising. He recently searched for an underrated head coach candidate for each team that would be a great fit. For New Orleans, he decided on Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.

Here is what Davenport had to say about why he would suggest the decision:

Hire a young offensive coach like Slowik. Be patient while the team pulls itself from salary-cap purgatory. And then reap the rewards when the young offense he helped build finally clicks.

Or, do the same thing as the past few years, break out 11 rolls of duct tape and hope Slowik can scheme a flawed team to 10 wins and the postseason.

Slowik has an interview lined up with the Jets, but he was a hotter candidate after C.J. Stroud’s rookie year. A sophomore slump slowed down that train, but Davenport walked away impressed with how Slowik led the Texans offense in the playoff game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

At first, DeMeco Ryans’ defense kept the Texans in the game. When the offense clicked, however, they rolled the rest of the game. The Chargers are a tough defense, so Slowik deserves credit for that success.

He is another member of the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, which the hire of Klint Kubiak shows that Mickey Loomis is intrigued by. Davenport sees Slowik’s age as another positive. He’s only 37 years old which gives the Saints and him a chance to grow together. As the Saints take their bumps, Slowik could refine himself as a coach. This isn’t the best win-now set up in New Orleans. They could afford to take their time with Slowik.

The Texans finished this season averaging one yard per game less than the Saints, making them the 11th-least productive unit in the league. A sophomore slump isn’t too worrying, given what he has shown before. He clearly knows the sport well and would be an intriguing option.

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49ers have perfect avenue to keep recently-fired DC on coaching staff

Nick Sorensen was fired as the 49ers DC, but he may take on a new role on the coaching staff.

Nick Sorensen was fired from his role as the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator after one season, but his time with the club may not be over.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday in a press conference confirmed that Sorensen would no longer be the team’s DC, but he noted he thinks highly of Sorensen as a coach and hopes to keep him on the coaching staff.

“Yeah. First of all, it was a real tough decision,” said Shanahan. “I love Nick as a person and I love him as a coach. Still trying to hope to keep him on board in another capacity, because he is a guy I don’t want to lose. But just where we’re at, really as a team, where I think we need to go. There are a lot of big decisions ahead for us. And as hard as it is for me to come to this conclusion, but I feel there are some options out there that can end up being a better option in the situation that we’re in for our team. And when really it comes down to that, in the position I’m in, regardless of anything else, that’s always the stuff I’ve got to go with. So, it was a real tough decision for me, and I’m still hoping that we can keep Nick here, but I do feel there are some other avenues that in the long run will be better for the 49ers.”

The good news for Shanahan is there’s a logical avenue to keep Sorensen on-staff.

San Francisco also fired special teams coordinator Brian Schneider, and Shanahan told reporters in his press conference that Sorensen is a candidate to fill that role.

Sorensen has a ton of experience as a pro coach on special teams units. His first NFL job came under Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll as an assistant special teams coach from 2013-16. Prior to joining the 49ers he was the special teams coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021.

While Sorensen may have not been fully prepared to be a defensive coordinator, his special teams experience and familiarity with the 49ers roster could make him a prime candidate to turn around one of the league’s worst special teams units.

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Brandon Staley to receive another interview with 49ers for DC opening

The 49ers are set to interview assistant head coach Brandon Staley for their DC job.

2025 will be the second consecutive offseason where the San Francisco 49ers will conduct a search for a new defensive coordinator.

It will also be the second consecutive offseason they’ll interview former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley for the position. Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday in a press conference told reporters Staley would be one of the internal candidates San Francisco considers as they aim to replace the recently-fired Nick Sorensen.

Staley didn’t land the 49ers’ DC job last season, but his interview went well enough that he wound up as an assistant head coach. It’s unclear how much influence he had on San Francisco’s defense in 2024, but given that Sorensen was let go and Staley is getting an interview, it stands to reason his voice wasn’t prominent enough to have an adverse impact on his prospects of landing the DC gig.

Prior to becoming the Chargers’ head coach, Staley was the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams in 2020. That season LA finished No. 1 in both yards and points allowed en route to divisional round loss to the Green Bay Packers.

His defensive success didn’t translate to his tenure as a head coach where the Chargers finished no higher than 20th in yards allowed and no higher than 21st in points allowed across his three seasons in charge.

A move to Staley as the DC would spark a significant change in the 49ers’ scheme. Under head coach Kyle Shanahan the 49ers have reliably run a 4-3 base defense in the Pete Carroll vein. Staley’s background uses a 3-4 base after he came up in the NFL under former 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Perhaps that’s the kind of change San Francisco wants to undergo in the offseason, but it would make more sense if they aimed for a coach like Robert Saleh or Jeff Ulbrich who would provide a less dramatic shift on that side of the ball.

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49ers make rare change to offensive coaching staff under Kyle Shanahan

The San Francisco 49ers will have an offensive coordinator for only the second time under head coach Kyle Shanahan.

The San Francisco 49ers are making an interesting change to their coaching staff.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday in his end-of-season press conference told reporters offensive passing game specialist Klay Kubiak would be promoted to offensive coordinator. Shanahan noted Kubiak’s responsibilities wouldn’t change, but that he’d earned the upgrade in title.

It’s only the second time Shanahan has had an offensive coordinator since becoming the 49ers’ head coach in 2017. Mike McDaniel served in that role for one year in 2021 before getting hired as the Miami Dolphins head coach in 2022.

Kubiak is a fast-rising star on the 49ers’ offensive coaching staff. He called plays for two of the team’s preseason games, and then got to call plays for the team’s 2024 regular season against the Arizona Cardinals. Those were signs that he was well-regarded by Shanahan, and now an internal promotion could put him in line for a potential head coaching job in the near future.

Kubiak hasn’t been named in any head coach searches yet, but if he’s the OC for a better 49ers club next year he could quickly be in that mix.

Shanahan handing over play-calling duties to Kubiak for the finale makes more sense in light of his promotion. While Shanahan won’t give up play-calling duties this year and isn’t liable to do so any time soon, he wanted to give the assistant an opportunity to get a regular-season game on his resume along with the promotion. If San Francisco is able to bounce back in 2025 there won’t be any games Shanahan is comfortable turning over play-calling duties for, so a relatively meaningless Week 18 showdown with the Arizona Cardinals provided that rare opportunity.

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Kyle Shanahan gave up play-calling duties in 49ers 2024 season finale

Kyle Shanahan gave up play calling duties on Sunday.

There was a fun wrinkle in the San Francisco 49ers’ season finale against the Arizona Cardinals.

NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco on Sunday reported via head coach Kyle Shanahan that 49ers offensive passing game specialist Klay Kubiak called plays in Week 18.

This was Kubiak’s regular-season debut as a play-caller in the NFL. He also called plays for two preseason games this year in his first stint in his current position. In 2022 and 2023 he was an assistant quarterbacks coach. In 2021, his first year with San Francisco, he was a defensive quality control coach.

The 49ers scored 24 points and averaged 6.0 yards per play with backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs starting under center. No. 1 wide receiver Jauan Jennings was also ejected during the first half after getting 10 targets in the first two quarters, forcing Kubiak to adjust to some different personnel. He also helped guide running back Patrick Taylor to a career-high 109 yards in an impressive outing for the fourth-year veteran.

It’s unclear why Shanahan afforded the opportunity to an assistant. The 49ers didn’t have much to play for with no postseason in play and their position cemented at the bottom of the NFC West. If there was ever a regular-season game where Shanahan would give up play-calling duties, Sunday’s season finale made a lot of sense.

The likelihood Shanahan is considering handing off those responsibilities to an offensive coordinator long-term is slim. Chances are he gave Kubiak the opportunity so he could get experience calling plays since his next job would likely involve play-calling as an offensive coordinator.

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Down year, no playoffs may actually benefit 49ers

Can the 49ers turn an early offseason into a positive for 2025?

After three straight trips to the NFL playoffs, the San Francisco 49ers (6-10) will be on the outside looking in during this postseason.

The 49ers played in Super Bowl LVIII to cap the 2023 season and each of the two postseason trips before that featured San Francisco advancing to the NFC championship game. The 49ers also reached Super Bowl LIV in the 2019 campaign.

Under president of football operations and general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan’s direction, San Francisco has become accustomed to these deep postseason pushes.

With the 49ers set to enter the offseason earlier than expected, San Francisco hopes to turn that disappointment into some fashion of a positive.

“Yeah, I am,” Shanahan said when asked if he is excited about what the offseason will hold for San Francisco. “I’d be much more excited to not have one and to go all the way to February again, but that is tough.”

As Shanahan touched on Friday, missing the playoffs does allow the 49ers to jumpstart their offseason retooling sooner.

“When you go that that long, everyone needs to get away and by the time you come back there’s usually right when free agency’s starting and you’re not totally quite there yet. So, it’s going to be our first time since I think COVID being off in January.

“And it gives you more time to figure things out. It gives you time to go through the things like the cutups and stuff. You can finish most of that stuff all before the Super Bowl. And then you’re ready to go to other stuff like the draft and free agency and all that as soon as the Super Bowl ends,” Shanahan said.

Shanahan hopes an earlier start to the offseason can help the 49ers chart a path that keeps them out of this position in 2025.

“So just being a lot more ahead of that is real exciting and I’m ready to get to it. We’ve known we’re out of the playoffs here for a little bit and everything’s about finishing this year up the right way and not cutting anything short, finishing your job.

“But I also have been able to look to when I can start improving next year and making sure we’re not in this position again. And I know that starts Monday,” Shanahan said.

Lynch joined KNBR’s “Murph and Markus” show on Friday morning where he said that the 49ers’ plans for remedies to what ailed them in 2024 are “well in the works.”

Shanahan said he will fully dive in on the 49ers’ offseason process beginning on Monday.

“Not as much as John would and stuff,” Shanahan said when asked if he’s already begun his offseason process. “I’ve got an idea of stuff. I map out my January and have to answer my wife’s questions and kids and stuff who might think I’m off, but I’m not. So things like that. But as far as fully putting my mind into it and everything that won’t start until really the plane ride back.”

Shanahan also said that he doesn’t anticipate any changes in terms of his input on offseason personnel decisions.

“No, it’s always been the same. It’s always been the same and I still want it to be the same,” Shanahan said.

The 49ers close their 2024 season with a Sunday date at State Farm Stadium against the Arizona Cardinals (7-9). Kickoff is set for 1:25 p.m. PT with the game set to air on Fox.

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49ers undecided on who will start at QB in Week 18

The 49ers are undecided on the plan at QB in Week 18.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan shared good news on the health of 49ers starting quarterback Brock Purdy during a Tuesday conference call.

Purdy’s Tuesday MRI showed that he avoided any long-term concerns from the injury he sustained late on Monday night versus Detroit.

“I’m relieved, but I wasn’t too concerned. I mean, I wasn’t too worried about it just with the information we had last night. It was good to just hear the same thing today,” Shanahan said.

The 49ers are classifying it as a right elbow contusion with nerve inflammation, but Shanahan said San Francisco is not expecting Purdy to play in Week 18 at Arizona.

That means the 49ers will likely be trotting out either Joshua Dobbs or Brandon Allen under center. Shanahan said it’s unclear early in the week which quarterback will get the start for the 49ers.

“We’re just starting really putting this game to bed right now and trying to catch up with Arizona, so I’ll decide that later in the day,” Shanahan said.

After Purdy exited with his right elbow injury, Dobbs closed the 49ers’ final drive against the Lions and directed San Francisco for a touchdown. Dobbs completed 3-of-4 passes for 35 yards and then completed the scoring drive himself with a 7-yard touchdown scramble.

When Purdy was previously sidelined with a shoulder injury earlier this season, Allen got the start for the 49ers in Week 12 at the Green Bay Packers. The 49ers lost 38-10 as Allen completed 17-of-29 passes with a 3-yard touchdown pass to George Kittle against one interception.

Barring injuries during the week, the one option that Shanahan ruled out was rookie practice squad quarterback Tanner Mordecai.

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Kyle Shanahan reacts to vote of confidence from 49ers owner

Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch will both be back for the 2025 NFL season.

Following a trip to Super Bowl LVIII and the brink of a world championship last season, the San Francisco 49ers have slumped to a 6-10 record and will miss the playoffs entirely in 2024.

Despite the struggles this season, no titanic changes are imminent.

49ers owner Jed York confirmed that San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch would both be back for the 2025 season.

That report came from The San Francisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami prior to Monday night’s contest against the Detroit Lions.

“You can write that, for sure. They’re not going anywhere,” York told the Standard.

In his Tuesday conference call with reporters, Shanahan was asked about York confirming he and Lynch’s status with the 49ers for the 2025 NFL season and if it makes him feel more confident in his future with San Francisco.

“Not really. I’ve felt confident. I’ve got a good relationship with Jed. We speak almost every day, so hearing stuff in the media doesn’t really change much for me. It’s more what I have between him and myself,” Shanahan said.

Shanahan said the relationship between he and York has always been open and consistent.

“Yeah, definitely. Jed is very easy to talk to. We’ve known each other here now for eight years. We feel very fortunate for how he is through the good and the bad and the communication never really changes regardless of what’s going on,” Shanahan said.

Shanahan will complete his eighth season at the helm after the 49ers travel to Arizona next Sunday. Including the playoffs, Shanahan owns a 78-65 mark leading San Francisco.

Under Shanahan’s direction, the 49ers have made four conference championship games and a pair of Super Bowl appearances. Prior to this season, the 49ers had won the NFC West in four of the past five seasons.

Given he and Lynch’s track records of success, it makes sense why York wouldn’t want to open that potential revolving door.

Before San Francisco played the Chicago Bears on Dec. 8, Lynch said any discussion of a coaching change was unnecessary.

“I’ve found the whole discussion on Kyle and some of the stuff rather comical,” Lynch told San Francisco radio station KNBR. “We have won four of the last five division championships. We’ve been in two Super Bowls.

“The standard here is to win championships, and we’ve fallen short of that, but we have an excellent head coach. And the fact people are talking about stuff like that, I do find it comical.”

Shanahan and Lynch each inked multi-year contract extensions in September of 2023.