The 49ers might lose their defensive coordinator for the third time in four years.
The Atlanta Falcons have requested permission to interview Steve Wilks for their vacant head-coaching job, according to The NFL Network, and this news seems to have legs.
Remember, the Chargers also requested permission to interview Wilks, but they just fired a defensive-minded head coach, plus they have a top-five quarterback in Justin Herbert, which means they most likely will hire a high-profile offensive-minded coach this time around.
The Falcons are different. They don't have a franchise quarterback, and they just fired an offensive-minded coach in Arthur Smith, who was a complete dud. Bad franchises that don't know what kind of football team they want to be often oscillate back and forth between offensive coaches and defensive head coaches.
The Falcons are a bad franchise. And before they had Smith, their head coach was Dan Quinn -- a defensive coach -- and his offensive coordinator was Kyle Shanahan. And together, they went to the Super Bowl. They didn't win it, but they still achieved the most success the Falcons have experienced in quite a while.
Which brings us back to Wilks. He went 6-6 last season as the interim head coach of the Panthers, who are in the Falcons' division. Plus he coaches for Shanahan now, which presumably means Wilks' offensive coordinator would come from Shanahan's staff and run Shanahan's system -- someone such as assistant head coach Anthony Lynn or passing game coordinator Klint Kubiak. This setup could appeal to the Falcons.
Last season, the Texans hired former 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans to be their head coach, and he brought former 49ers passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik with him as his offensive coordinator, and together they turned a three-win team into a 10-win team in one year. Granted, they had the No. 2 pick and drafted a franchise quarterback in C.J. Stroud. The Falcons have the 8th pick in the upcoming draft. Maybe they'll find a franchise QB -- Michael Penix? -- or maybe not.
Either way, I definitely can see them hiring Wilks. And if they do, the 49ers could replace him with Daniel Bullocks, their defensive backs coach, or someone from outside the organization.
Stay tuned.
More must-reads: