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The San Francisco 49ers are adding another experienced defensive voice to head coach Kyle Shanahan’s staff, hiring former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus as a defensive assistant.
While the team has not announced an official title, Eberflus is expected to fill a role similar to the assistant head coach of defense position previously held by Gus Bradley during the 2025 season. He will work alongside newly hired defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.
Reinforcing The Defensive Brain Trust
San Francisco lost several prominent defensive assistants earlier this offseason. Former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh departed to become head coach of the Tennessee Titans and brought Bradley with him as his defensive coordinator.
In response, Shanahan brought Morris aboard to lead the defense and has now added Eberflus to provide additional experience in game planning and player development.
Shanahan has frequently kept a high-level defensive assistant on staff in recent seasons. In 2024, former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley served in a similar advisory role before Bradley joined the staff the following year.
Eberflus’ Coaching Background
Eberflus, 55, arrives in San Francisco after a one-year stint as defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys in 2025. His defense struggled during that season, allowing the most points in the league before the Cowboys dismissed him at year’s end.
Before Dallas, Eberflus spent parts of three seasons as head coach of the Bears, compiling a 14–32 record before the team fired him during the 2024 season. His most successful stretch came earlier as defensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts from 2018 to 2021, when his units produced multiple top-10 scoring defenses and ranked among the league leaders in takeaways.
A Familiar Defensive Approach
Eberflus’ defensive philosophy aligns closely with San Francisco’s existing system, which typically relies on four-man fronts and zone-heavy coverage schemes. That familiarity should allow him to integrate quickly with Morris while helping address areas where the 49ers struggled last season.
San Francisco finished the 2025 campaign ranked near the bottom of the league in several defensive categories, including a league-low sack total, making experienced input a priority as the team reshapes its coaching staff for 2026.
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