The 49ers identified defensive coordinator Steve Wilks as their scapegoat three days after they were eliminated from the Super Bowl.
The 49ers have fired Wilks, according to a statement made by Kyle Shanahan. It should not be shocking because Shanahan responded with a long, evasive response when asked a day ago whether the team will maintain Wilks, rather than responding with a straightforward “yes.”
Wilks is therefore out. Looking back, he was destined to fail from the beginning since the 49ers asked him to be someone he isn’t. In essence, they asked him to take over for DeMeco Ryans, the defensive coordinator he replaced. asked Wilks to call plays and manage Ryans’ defensive scheme from Ryans’ sideline position rather than Wilks’ preferred location in the booth. This implies that they consistently outperformed Wilks and practically prevented him from winning over his players.
However, Wilks shouldn’t be used as a scapegoat for the Super Bowl loss since Kyle Shanahan is to blame, not him. It’s amazing that Wilks’ defense limited the Chiefs defense to just 19 points after four quarters. The Chiefs scored 31 points against Robert Saleh in 2020 and 44 points against Ryans in 2022.
To be honest, Wilks was a far better coach than Shanahan during the Super Bowl. In addition to having a terrible offense, Shanahan appeared to be unaware of the playoff overtime regulations. It was Shanahan who made the decision to go for the ball first. He’s still being laughed at by the Chiefs for that decision.
