On Thursday, the San Francisco 49ers officially announced that defensive end Kerry Hyder Jr. is returning to the team on a one-year deal. Following the announcement, the 49ers made Hyder available to reporters for the first time since his last stint with the team in 2020. The defensive lineman led the 49ers in sacks that season and spent 2021 with the Seattle Seahawks.
Hyder said he looked at his free agency options and wanted to go somewhere comfortable and familiar. That pointed toward the 49ers.
Below are some of the other topics Hyder discussed during the over five-minute Zoom discussion with the media.
What happened in Seattle?
After leading the 49ers with 8.5 sacks in 2020, Hyder had just 1.5 sacks with the Seahawks in 2021, a down year for the defensive lineman.
"I always have the highest expectations for myself," Hyder said. "Coming off a career year, you just kind of expect to build on that momentum. I feel like I had a good season, but the stats don't always tell the whole story. I might not have the stats and stuff like that, but I feel as a player, I grew, and I got better last year."
Working with Kris Kocurek
Hyder's impressive 2020 campaign came while working with 49ers defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, who he also worked with during a stint with the Detroit Lions. What is it about Kocurek that brings out the best in Hyder?
"I think it's trust," Hyder said. "He puts me on the field, and he trusts me to make it happen. It's not a situation where he's worried about what I'm going to do, or he's going to pull me if he doesn't like what I'm doing. He trusts me to get the job done, and I'm able to get out there and really get into a rhythm. I think that's kind of the biggest thing."
DeMeco Ryans' defense compared to Robert Saleh's
Robert Saleh was the 49ers' defensive coordinator in 2020. That job now belongs to DeMeco Ryans, who was a linebackers coach when Hyder was last with the team.
"Obviously DeMeco has his own spin on it," Hyder said. "I wouldn't say it's similar, but some of the roots are the same. He wants guys who are going to run to the ball, are going to be aggressive, that's going to play hard, and put everything they've got on the field. I think that's not necessarily a DeMeco thing. It's kind of a Forty-Niner thing. That's kind of what we stand on, just playing hard and playing for one another."
What clicked for you in 2020?
"Again, I don't know about clicking," Hyder responded. "Just the trust within the team, the trust within my room, the defensive room. Kris, we have a previous history, so it's not a situation where I've got to go out of my way to prove myself or do something outside of my body. Kris knows what I can do and what he expects from me. As a player, that's important—to come into a building and know what they want from you, what they expect from you, and what you can do for them."
Fans at Levi's Stadium
There were no fans inside Levi's Stadium during Hyder's only season with the 49ers. That will be different this season.
"I really am [looking forward to playing in front of the fans]," Hyder said. "I'm a D-lineman, so you look forward to that third down at home, and you hear the crowd roaring behind you. You live for those moments. I'm excited to hear the fans at Levi's and just hear them roar. I'm looking forward to that."
The 49ers' starting QB
Obviously, the plan is to have Trey Lance start in 2022. However, the team being unable to quickly trade Jimmy Garoppolo has created a little bit of offseason drama. In a somewhat joking question, Hyder was asked if the 49ers shared who the starting quarterback would be for the upcoming season.
"No. No they didn't," Hyder responded while laughing. "I just play D-lineman. I don't know about nothing else."