Kyle Shanahan May Be Hired Despite Constant Criticism The 49ers’ New Defensive Coordinator Is Brandon Staley.

 

Kyle Shanahan understands what it’s like to be in the middle of a media tempest. The San Francisco 49ers’ coach has come under fire for the team’s Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, 25-22 (OT).

Shanahan sacked defensive coordinator Steve Wilks on Wednesday, a move that few expected. He now needs a replacement, and he might hire former Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley, who understands criticism.

That’s according to Pro Football Talk.

Few believe that 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks without having an idea as to the identity of his successor. Some around the league think Shanahan will eventually hire former Rams defensive coordinator and Chargers head coach Brandon Staley.

Staley was fired by the Chargers during the 2023 season, after a Thursday night blowout loss to the Raiders. When the Rams lost defensive coordinator Raheem Morris to the Falcons as head coach, Staley was considered but not hired to return to the Rams.

Staley and Shanahan have not previously worked together. They squared off twice in 2020, when Staley ran the Rams’ defense. They had one game against each other during Staley’s time as coach of the Chargers. The 49ers won all three of the games with Staley as defensive coordinator or head coach.

This would be a big hire, but I’m not sure if it would be a bad one. People will undoubtedly criticize it, though.

Brandon Staley’s tenure as Chargers head coach was a complete disaster. Despite having an extremely great roster and a franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert, he only made the playoffs once. Los Angeles wasted a 27-0 lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars and lost.
However, the majority of the criticism Staley received stemmed from dubious in-game decisions, which some saw as overly harsh. He was a well-respected defensive mind when he was the Rams’ defensive coordinator under Sean McVay. It will be interesting to watch how he performs following his head coaching tenure, when he is not responsible for game management.