The San Francisco 49ers have decided to part ways with the defensive coordinator, Steve Wilks. This was after he spent a season with the San Francisco team. His sacking has shocked the NFL community as he was hailed as helping the Niners strengthen their defense.

The news surprised Pat McAfee as he didn’t expect the Niners to sack their DC. Perhaps losing the Super Bowl under dire conditions has made the Niners management consider an alternate future. Also, this might have been a “shocker” because Wilks was the Carolina Panthers’ interim HC before joining the Niners. Going from an interim HC to a DC and getting fired is enough to catch people by surprise.

Steve Wilks’ firing surprises Pat McAfee

McAfee pointed out Adam Schefter’s post on X, “A change in San Francisco: Steve Wilks is out as the 49ers defensive coordinator.” He speculated that the Niners and Wilks parting ways had to do with them losing the Lombardi, allowing Patrick Mahomes to run the “corndog” play at the fleeting moments of the game, along with a couple of other things.

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Also, the Niners allowed Mahomes to gain 19 yards using his legs in overtime. Later, they decided to keep the ball as they reportedly did not know the new NFL rules. Per McAfee, the Niners’ defense has been on par with other teams, yet Wilks had to bear the brunt of the loss because the team cannot fire Kyle Shanahan because he also acts as the OC to the Niners.

“Bit of a shocker here, especially this time in the coaching cycle, but that’s not the Niners fault I guess, because they made it to the Super Bowl but, this is a shocker here,” said McAfee, reacting to Wilks’ firing.

In the 2023 regular season, the 49ers averaged 17.1 points allowed per game. The number then inflated to 25.7 points per game when the Niners entered the playoffs. Despite being one of the best defenses in the league and the NFC, Wilks got the short end of the stick.

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Reasons behind Steve Wilks’ sacking

It started in the playoffs against the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions when the Niners allowed 318 rushing yards combined. According to reports, the 49ers ranked 8th in the NFL in total defense. They allowed 303.9 yards per game in the regular season and gave away 31 touchdowns, which is decent compared to other teams in the league.

On a few occasions, Nick Bosa and Kyle Shanahan have shown their apprehension about Steve Wilks. Bosa mentioned how the defense “had some issues throughout the year” and that the DC should have been more aware of Patrick Mahomes’ run game. For Shanahan, the frustrations grew as the Niners kept giving away more yards in the playoffs.

The decision to fire Wilks is considered a case of “scapegoating” by some, and each day, people express their disappointment in the decision. As of now, coaches like the Niners DB coach Daniel Bullocks,  the Vikings DC Brian Flores, and ex-Titans HC Mike Vrabel might be the next safest bet for the 49ers.

What do you think about Steve Wilks getting fired? Let us know in the comments.

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