The 49ers will have their fifth defensive coordinator in five seasons when Raheem Morris takes the reins of San Francisco’s defense.

Morris will get the chance to work with one of the best linebackers in the game: Fred Warner. 

Warner, speaking to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco on Tuesday at Radio Row, said he hasn’t met Morris nor has he had the chance to speak with him since the 49ers hired him to replace Robert Saleh.

But Warner shared what his first message to his new defensive coordinator would be. 

“That we’re ready to work, man,” Warner said. “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.” 

Morris, who was most recently the Atlanta Falcons head coach, may provide a philosophical shift to what the 49ers’ defensive core is used to.  

In the 2025 NFL season, the Falcons finished with a 35.4 percent blitz rate, the second-highest in the league. In contrast, the 49ers under Saleh last season blitzed on just 19.1 percent of pass plays, ranking 30th in the league. The flexibility of the defensive personnel could be key for Morris implementing a fresh system. 

The 2026 season should also bring the return of key players from injury such as Warner and star defensive end Nick Bosa. It was a largely difficult season for the 49ers’ defense in 2025 without their key players, but Warner explained how they can take the next step to improve. 

“Ultimately, it’s just demanding excellence of your group every single day,” Warner explained. “You can’t let little things slide when it comes to just the details of how to play defense day-to-day. It truly is just demanding the best.  

“If you’re a player, you should want the best of yourself to be one of the best in the league at your position. And if everybody’s doing that, everybody’s holding each other accountable… and you do that every single day, you look up and you’re like, ‘OK, man, we did it.’ I think that’s what it is ultimately going to take.” 

If anything good came from the plethora of injuries suffered on the defensive side for the 49ers, it’s that there will be just a few players who did not get in-game experience heading into next season. 

Morris will be inheriting a defensive squad with new depth and hungry to improve while also bringing back their key performers.

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