The San Francisco 49ers Raheem Morris hire is supposed to fill a hole left by Robert
Saleh, who left to be the head coach of the Tennessee Titans, but it may be an upgrade.
Despite having a reputation for putting together effective defensive gameplans, Saleh
fell short of expectations in 2025. In fact, the entire 49ers team did.
The team made the playoffs as a Wild Card, going 12-5 on the year, and they managed
to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round, but lost in the divisional round to
their rival (and eventual NFC Champions), the Seattle Seahawks. The defense is not
what carried the team through the season, though.
Saleh led a unit that finished 13th in the league for points allowed per game (21.8), 20th
in yards allowed (5,784), and 24th in turnovers (16). The offense was forced to carry the
load, and their starting quarterback is a game manager, not a playmaker. Brock Purdy
relies on a good running game and a stout defense, and he’ll make sure he doesn’t lose
the game.
The Upgrade
Morris allowed more points per game than Saleh last season (23.6), but the upgrade he
brings is pressuring the quarterback and creating turnovers. He’s done it at every stop,
and 2025 was noexception. Last season, as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, Morris’s
defense was second in sacks in the NFL (57), and that constant pressure led to 23
turnovers (8th in the league).
Morris also allowed 300 fewer yards than Saleh last season. Bringing back a ball hawk
defense that gets after the quarterback could make a 12-5 49ers team into a 15-2
number one seed. It will definitely give Purdy more breathing room. Nothing can torpedo
a quarterback’s career like a bad offensive line, except a defense that forces him to
throw the ball 50 times a game.
Morris is familiar with the division, as well. He was a defensive coordinator with the Los
Angeles Rams from 2021 to 2023. The 49ers had to go up against his defenses six
times over that duration. Though he went 1-5 against his new team, head coach Mike
Shanahan knows how difficult Morris makes it on opposing offenses.
49ers Raheem Morris Season Starts Now
Fans of the 49ers have to be excited to see Morris calling defensive plays. His blitz
packages will get Nick Bosa back into the Defensive Player of the Year conversation,
and maybe even allow him to pass Myles Garrett. Every quarterback in the NFC West is
about to be on the run, and it bodes well for the city by the bay.
With the Seahawks about to lose their offensive coordinator to the Las Vegas Raiders,
and the Rams losing their offensive coordinator to the Arizona Cardinals, the addition of
Morris to his coaching staff makes Shanahan the most feared coach in the division.
