Why Raheem Morris, Kyle Shanahan’s reunion is good news for 49ers’ defense

The 49ers are hiring Raheem Morris as their defensive coordinator, sources confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area. The former Atlanta Falcons head coach will take the job vacated by Robert Saleh, who was hired as the Tennessee Titans head coach on January 22. The most crucial aspect of Morris’ hire is his personality connecting with the existing defensive roster. Twice over the past four seasons, the 49ers have failed to find the right chemistry between the coordinator, the scheme and the players. As a result, Steve Wilks (2023) and Nick Sorensen (2024) were both let go after only one season in the job. Morris was one of three candidates interviewed by Kyle Shanahan that included Joe Woods, who previously was the pass game coordinator for San Francisco and defensive backs coach for the Las Vegas Raiders, and Gus Bradley who was the assistant head coach, defense for the 49ers in 2025. After the 49ers were eliminated from the playoffs after their loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round, Shanahan spoke about his admiration Bradley during his season in review press conference. “I’m going to say it’s a...