Starting this Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, defensive coordinator Steve Wilks will no longer be in the coaching box. Instead, he'll be on the sidelines with his players and the rest of the coaching staff.
Star linebacker Fred Warner wasn't entirely sure what to think of Wilks' move just yet but believes the change has a benefit.
"That's fresh news to me, but I think it'll be a flawless transition, honestly," Warner stated. "Whether it be him giving the calls or staying with [linebackers coach] Johnny [Holland], having him down there connected with us on the field is going to be great."
Warner emphasized that the team hasn't encountered any issues this season with Wilks being separated from the players, noting, "I think more so than anything, him just wanting to be down there as our leader of the group, just to be down there, and make adjustments on the fly when need be, just being down there with us, looking us in our eye when we're down there, I'm sure that's just little things like that."
Warner added, "It just makes it easier for him being down there to be able to talk face to face."
Shanahan admitted that he personally preferred being up in the coaching box during his time as a coordinator.
"I just like a chair and a desk and a lot of stuff to write down and things like that," Shanahan said on Wednesday. "But I had to do this for nine years before I got here. I was only in the box one year, my last year, so I was eight on the field before that. There's pluses and minuses to both, so you usually go with your preference."
Wilks also favors the coaching box over the sidelines. However, given the recent struggles of the defense, Shanahan believes a change of perspective is worth exploring.
During the 49ers' initial five-game winning streak this season, the defense allowed an average of only 267 total yards per game. That average has risen to 395.3 total yards per game during the current three-game losing streak.
When asked if Wilks' move to the sidelines affects the players, defensive end Nick Bosa responded, "Not too much, no."
One of the more concerning statistics from the recent losses is the 32 missed tackles in those three games. The 49ers' defense only had nine in the three games before that, and 24 in their first five games of the season.
When questioned about the reasoning behind moving Wilks, Shanahan explained, "I kind of want him to be down and be near our players a little bit. They've had that more just with the linebacker communication in the past, and I want him to be down there so he can talk to guys a little bit more."
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