SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco 49ers hired Raheem Morris to help revive their defense and pass rush ahead of the 2026 season. Morris joins the team after serving as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, a position from which he was dismissed prior to this hiring.

The 49ers’ defense struggled during the 2025 season under defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. It ranked at the bottom of the league in both pressure rate and total sacks. The unit also posted a simulated pressure rate of 3.5%, placing it among the six worst in the NFL. Additionally, the 49ers blitzed on just 23.4% of defensive snaps—the fourth-lowest rate in the league—and generated a defensive DVOA of 9.7% on those blitzes. DVOA, or Defense-adjusted Value Over Average, measures a team’s efficiency by comparing success on each play to a league average based on situation and opponent.

San Francisco’s defensive limitations were evident in the 2025 playoffs, where the unit struggled during a divisional round loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The team also lost key defensive players during the season, including edge rusher Nick Bosa. The 49ers’ overall defensive DVOA for the 2025 season stood at -17.5%.

Morris brings experience from his time with the Atlanta Falcons, where the defense recorded a simulated pressure rate of 6.5% in 2025—nearly double that of San Francisco’s. His hiring represents a strategic shift for the 49ers, who aim to reinvigorate a pass rush that failed to consistently threaten opposing quarterbacks under Saleh’s scheme. Head coach Kyle Shanahan made the decision to bring Morris on board specifically to address these defensive shortcomings ahead of the 2026 campaign.