49ers could be ‘forced to settle’ for top coaching hire

There are a lot of unknowns for each NFL team, including the San Francisco 49ers, entering the offseason.

Yet, one decision Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers were convinced of was that it was time to make a defensive coordinator change. After first-year coordinator Nick Sorensen allowed the NFL’s fourth-most points, the 49ers let him go once the regular season ended.

They’ve been hunting for a new defensive coordinator ever since. A potential solution appeared up for grabs with former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh relieved of his head coaching job with the New York Jets. Yet, he’s since emerged as a finalist to fill the Jacksonville Jaguars’ head coaching vacancy. 

In turn, some, like Niner Noise’s Peter Panacy, believes the 49ers “may be forced to settle for Brandon Staley.”

"Staley, whose tenure with the Los Angeles Chargers as head coach didn't go as hoped, earned some merit with the Los Angeles Rams, previously, during their Super Bowl run in 2021,” Panacy wrote. “But the Bolts' own defense suffered miscues and meltdowns during Staley's tenure there, suggesting a promotion in San Francisco won't exactly be the solution needed in the wake of Sorensen's disappointing one-and-done campaign. Given how quickly other candidates are finding jobs elsewhere, Shanahan and the 49ers may not have many other choices. Perhaps it's the contingency plan in case Saleh finds his desired head-coaching job, though. If so, naming Staley as the Niners' new defensive coordinator will be an awfully tough sell to the fanbase."

Staley spent the 2024 season serving as the 49ers’ assistant head coach, so moving him to defensive coordinator wouldn’t take much muscle. Yet, whether he is truly the best candidate for the job is up for debate.

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