NFL Rumors: 49ers tried to poach top Chiefs assistant coach to fill DC void

The San Francisco 49ers were the best team in the league for most of the 2023 NFL season, but they weren't without their issues. In 2023, San Francisco hired Steve Wilks as their defensive coordinator after DeMeco Ryans accepted a head coach position with the Houston Texans. That hiring proved to be a mistake — head coach Kyle Shanahan and Wilks clashed throughout the season.

While the defense still finished third in points per game allowed (17.5), the unit began to fall apart in the postseason — especially in the run game. The Niners allowed an average of 5.1 rushing yards per carry and 149.3 rushing yards per game in their three playoff games. Wilks was fired after the Niners' heartbreaking overtime loss in Super Bowl LVIII.

In their search for a new defensive coordinator, San Francisco was reportedly chasing after a big name.

The 49ers tried to hire Chiefs' defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo

The 49ers attempted to hire Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, according to The Athletic's Diana Russini.

If you can't beat them... have them join you?

Spagnuolo has won four championships as a coordinator — including two against the 49ers. Prior to Spagnuolo's arrival in Kansas City in 2019, the Chiefs defensive unit was in disarray. In just a few seasons, the defensive unit became the driving force behind Kansas City's Super Bowl championship. In 2023, the Chiefs boasted the No. 2 ranked defense in the league. They allowed just 15.8 points per game in their four postseason games.

Spagnuolo, who developed his philosophy under Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, deploys versatile personnel sets and exotic blitz packages. His tendency to blitz cornerbacks and safeties requires versatile players in the secondary. Spagnuolo first rose to prominence with the New York Giants during the 2007 NFL season, when he slowed down the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Spagnuolo deployed his infamous "NASCAR" package, which used four defensive ends to apply pressure on the quarterback with speed.

Spagnuolo would have been an odd fit for the Niners, since Shanahan claimed that Wilks was fired due to schematic issues. Although there are differences between their philosophies, Spagnuolo and Wilks both have aggressive approaches that use blitz-heavy defenses. A hallmark of WIlks' defensive philosophy is the emphasis on creating pressure from a variety of blitz packages, many of which include the linebackers rushing the passer.

Shanahan wanted Wilks to run the same scheme that was the 49ers already had in place from former defensive coordinators Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans. The Niners built a reputation as one of the best defenses by implementing a defensive scheme that drew inspiration from the Seattle Seahawks' famed "Legion of Boom" era.

Regardless, Spagnuolo elected to remain in Kansas City after signing a contract extension, and the 49ers hired Nick Sorensen as their defensive coordinator. Sorensen, who has never been a defensive coordinator before, spent the past two years as an assistant coach in San Francisco. The rookie coordinator will hope to follow in the footsteps of Saleh and Ryans during the 2024 NFL season.