By Jordan SiglerShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberOn Thursday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN reported that the San Francisco 49ers are hiring Matt Eberflus to the defensive staff for the upcoming season.
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It's unclear what title the 49ers will give Eberflus, though he is expected to have a role similar to what Gus Bradley had last year as assistant head coach.
Eberflus was fired from his job as the head coach of the Chicago Bears on Black Friday in 2024. He joined the Dallas Cowboys as a defensive coordinator in 2025 under head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
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Eberflus received heavy criticism during his time in Dallas, often opting to emphasize his scheme over the strengths of his players. The Cowboys defense finished the season ranked No. 30 in total defense, giving up 377 yards per game.
The Cowboys fired Eberflus on Jan. 6.
Wagoner is reporting Shanahan is making the hire, which isn't uncommon for NFL head coaches to make staff changes.
With that being said, the 49ers have an interesting connection between new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and Eberflus (though they have never worked together on the same staff). They both share the same agent, Trace Armstrong of Athletes First.
On his Facebook page, former NFL sports agent Ben Dogra suggested the 49ers might have done Armstrong a "favor" by hiring Eberflus.
"You lost to Seattle twice in the last month including 41-6 in the playoffs," Dogra wrote. "And you think this will fix it? Raheem Morris is a good hire. This hire seems like a "favor" to the agent. But what do I know, I never played in the NFL, college, or high school.
"But I know enough to know that ....I saw what happened in Chicago and with the Dallas D last year!"
The deal could work in Eberflus' favor. He wasn't at the top of any team's list to become a defensive coordinator in this hiring cycle. Instead of becoming a position coach or sitting out a year, he could put working for Shanahan on his resume.
That tactic worked for Brandon Staley in 2024, now the defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints. Bradley is now the defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans under head coach Robert Saleh, the defensive coordinator of the 49ers last year.
Per a 2025 report by Kalyn Kahler of ESPN, Armstrong and a few NFL agents have a history of getting multiple staffers inside of a team's building. His clients have had a huge impact on the Chicago Bears in recent years.
"Per the league office's internal data, Armstrong is one of six coaching agents who represented more than one head coach, coordinator or general manager for the same club going into the 2023 season, the most recent data available," Kahler wrote.
"The others are Frank Bauer, Richmond Flowers III, Bob Lamonte, Jimmy Sexton and Rick Smith."
The NFL is a people business. Many times, coaches hire people they're familiar with over finding the best candidate available.
In other cases, it could be an agent who has the familiarity with a prospective coach.
For more on the 49ers and the NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.
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