The San Francisco 49ers have fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks after losing Super Bowl LVIII, head coach Kyle Shanahan told Bay Area reporters, according to NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco.
Wilks’ firing comes after his unit held the Chiefs to 19 points in regulation, giving up 25 points overall counting overtime. His defense was ranked third in points allowed during the regular season, according to Pro Football Reference.
Wilks seems to be getting the scapegoat treatment after Shanahan’s overtime blunder likely cost his team the game.
The 49ers and defensive coordinator Steve Wilks have parted ways, coach Kyle Shanahan announces on a conference call with Bay Area reporters.
Wilks was hired a year ago to replace DeMeco Ryans, who became head coach of the Texans.
— Matt Maiocco (Threads @maiocconbcs) (@MaioccoNBCS) February 14, 2024
Shanahan has been widely criticized for choosing to take the ball first in overtime. Under the league’s new overtime rules that mandate both teams get a possession no matter what, many football experts maintain that getting the ball second is strategically advantageous.
The debate over whether Kyle Shanahan should’ve taken the ball first in overtime or went on defense will go on all offseason — the ESPN analyst is locked in his opinion:#NFL #SuperBowl #FTTB pic.twitter.com/BzL9CBaNh1
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) February 13, 2024
For Wilks, who I assume will find his way onto another NFL coaching staff at some point in the near future, it marks his fifth NFL departure in the past seven years. (RELATED: Murder Threats And Dead Teammates: NFL Stars Trade Blows With Wild Accusations)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 24: Interim head coach Steve Wilks of the Carolina Panthers exits the field after the game against the Detroit Lions at Bank of America Stadium on December 24, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Grant Halverson/Getty Images
Wilks left his job as the Carolina Panthers’ defensive coordinator in 2018 to take the job as the Arizona Cardinals’ head coach, but was fired after only one season after going 3-13. He then took a job as the defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns, but also only lasted a year, being fired in 2020.
Wilks eventually found his way back to Carolina where, after initially coming on board as a secondaries coach, he assumed the role of interim head coach after the team fired incumbent skipper Matt Rhule in 2022. Wilks’ steady hand helped guide the Panther to a solid 6-6 record, and his performance earned him the offer to become San Fran’s DC.
To my mind, this is a blatant move of throwing a guy under the bus to shed some of the heat. Wilks’ unit got a huge third down stop on Mahomes and the Chiefs in overtime. If the Chiefs had got the ball first, they likely would have punted. Instead, after the 49ers managed a field goal on the first possession, the Chiefs had no choice but to go for it on fourth, which they did successfully.
I’m not saying you don’t hold Wilks and his defense accountable for their failure to stop Kansas City’s offense when it mattered most, but he’s surely not the chief culprit here.