Nickerson was on Smith's staff with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the past two seasons. He was not retained when the Buccaneers fired Smith and promoted offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter as their new head coach. Nickerson was just hired to the 49ers' staff in January, just five days after interviewing with the team.
As a player, Nickerson was a five-time Pro Bowl player after being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 1987 NFL Draft out of Cal.
The 49ers would still have outside linebackers coach Jason Tarver on staff if Nickerson were to depart to join his former boss.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers insider predicts addition of veteran defensive end to bolster pass rush
The San Francisco 49ers' pass rush produced an NFL-low 20 sacks last season, and there are no guarantees that Nick Bosa's return will provide a significant enough boost during the team's 2026 campaign. All offseason, the 49ers have been linked to available pass rushers.... -
49ers reach injury settlement with defensive lineman
According to the NFL transaction report, the San Francisco 49ers have reached an injury settlement with defensive lineman Victor Dimukeje, removing him from the team's injured reserve list. The 49ers signed Dimukeje on August 17 before placing him on injured reserve 10 days... -
49ers coach loses birthday amid flight to Australia
Under normal circumstances, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris would likely have done something special to celebrate his milestone 50th birthday on September 3. Instead, Morris spent much of the day aboard a plane over the Pacific Ocean during the 49ers'... -
49ers coach on Nick Bosa's status vs. Rams: 'He'll be there. We're not hiding that'
While the Los Angeles Rams are keeping the status of defensive tackle Aaron Donald under wraps—though he is widely expected to play against the San Francisco 49ers—the 49ers aren't playing any games when it comes to the availability of their star pass rusher. Defensive...