The San Francisco 49ers sent shockwaves through the NFL coaching world when they fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks after the Super Bowl. For many, it seemed as if the firing was head coach Kyle Shanahan’s way of deflecting blame for his offense coming up flat when it was needed the most. Similarly, the decision to fire Wilks steered discussion of the loss away from the players not knowing the overtime scoring rules pretty quickly.
Related: San Francisco 49ers: 1 Former Big-Name Head Coach Named as Possible Replacement for Steve Wilks
While there were some that defended the firing due to poor communication, there were many fans that were stunned by the decision. Additionally, one Hall of Fame safety took to social media to tell current and perspective NFL players and coaches that the decision to fire Wilks is an example of why he himself not to get into coaching.
NFL Hall of Fame Safety LeRoy Butler Calls Out San Francisco 49ers For Decision to Fire Steve Wilks
Former Green Bay Packers safety LeRoy Butler, who had plenty of hard-fought playoff games against the 49ers himself, expressed his thoughts on the firing of Wilks on social media on Saturday night:
Wait! They fired steve wilks! I thought they had tons of (ALL-PRO) and pro bowl players, to pull the plug after one season and getting to the SB is why i am not coaching no loyalty, wilks a good coach and person and deserve better,i get it, its #NFL let me mind my business child
— leroy butler (blue check) (@leap36) February 18, 2024
To Butler’s point, the 49ers defense had four Pro Bowl players: linebacker Fred Warner, cornerback Charvarius Ward, and defensive linemen Nick Bosa and Javon Hargrave. Warner was named First Team All-Pro and Ward was named Second Team All-Pro.
Why Did the San Francisco 49ers Fire Steve Wilks?
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the decision to fire Wilks was not the result of the 49ers losing the Super Bowl. Rather it was a decision that was made due to a combination of incidents throughout the season that displayed poor levels of communication on that side of the ball. Even during the Super Bowl, Shanahan was forced to burn a timeout because their was a miscommunication on defense.
Dontay Atkinson of ReachNorth Media explain the firing as well:
“Steve Wilks didn’t get let go because he’s a bad coach. He didn’t get let go because of the Super Bowl. He didn’t get let go because he’s black. He didn’t get let go because he screwed up.
“He was let go because the front half of the defense wasn’t in synch with the back half. And it was like that frequently this season. This roster is too elite for that to continue.
Sometimes chemistry is just wrong. It’s not a judgment on Wilks. He’s an outstanding football mind. It just didn’t gel with this program.”
Interestingly, Butler’s former team, the Packers, fired their defensive coordinator, Joe Barry, after they lost to the 49ers in the divisional round for the same reason San Francisco fired Wilks: communication issues. The big difference, though, is that Barry was given three years to figure it out in Green Bay. Wilks was fired after just one season.
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