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The San Francisco 49ers will have an improved pass rush next season after tallying only 20 sacks during the 2025 campaign. Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams will be back after suffering season-ending injuries, and there will be a new defensive coordinator in Raheem Morris.
Nonetheless, despite these three variables improving the Niners’ defense, one former pass rusher believes the 49ers need to be aggressive in turning their pass rush into one of the best in the league.
While speaking to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, former NFL player Shawne Merriman believes that San Francisco need to go for a home-run trade to land a premier pass rusher from either the Cleveland Browns or Las Vegas Raiders.
“If I’m the San Francisco 49ers this offseason, I’m going to take a run at Myles Garrett; I’m taking a run at Maxx Crosby [and] I’m taking a run at these guys because they’re an instant upgrade,” Merriman told Maiocco.
“Nick Bosa comes back and nobody’s going to know how it is because what, his second or third injury now? I’ve been there, and after enough injuries you’re not the same player. I’m not saying this is going to be the case with him, but there should be some level of concern from the San Francisco 49ers front office on how he’s going to come back.”
Fred Warner Issues Message to Raheem Morris
While not directly impacting the pass rush, Fred Warner will also be returning to the 49ers’ defense. Moreover, Warner spoke with NBC Sports Bay Area and shared his message to his new defensive coordinator.
“That we’re ready to work, man,” Warner said on Feb. 3. “It’s not a bunch of guys who are set in their ways at all. I’m going into year nine, and I’m ready to learn and adapt to whatever he’s giving to us.
“So, we’re all ready to work, we’re all hungry to get back to being dominant and give ourselves a chance to win a Super Bowl.”
49ers Insider Shares Reason for Raheem Morris Hire
After former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh left for the Tennessee Titans‘ head coach job, the 49ers conducted their search for his replacement.
In the end, the Niners chose Morris, a familiar face for Shanahan. The connection and friendship with the former Falcons head coach factored into the decision, at least according to 49ers reporter Grant Cohn of On SI.
“I love this hire,” Cohn said in a Feb. 1 video on X about Morris reportedly becoming the 49ers’ defensive coordinator. “This is great news because Raheem Morris is not Gus Bradley, who would have been a freaking disaster. It seems like the Niners are really considering hiring him. Good thing that we all publicly shamed them into not doing that.
“Would I have liked them to hire Jim Schwartz? It would have been cool. He runs the wide nine, and he’s older than Kyle Shanahan. He’s not his friend. That would have been an interesting dynamic, but that was never going to happen. Kyle likes working with his friends. We all do. Kyle is great friends with Raheem Morris.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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