Raheem Morris Hints at a More Multiple 49ers Defense in 2026

There has been a lot of discussion about what the San Francisco 49ers' defense will look like under Raheem Morris. With Robert Saleh, you knew exactly what to expect because he has been here before, and his scheme has remained the same wherever he has gone. Morris, he has run different defenses at different stops.

What will the San Francisco 49ers' defense look like under Raheem Morris?

While we do not know fully what to expect until the 49ers actually take the field, Morris did try to give some groundwork on what the 49ers unit might be looking like this season.

We have been a four-down rush team, and we've done a nice job with it. I know we've dibbled and dabbled a little bit last year, even with Robert Saleh, who I have so much respect for and what he was able to do and how he did it. But I was able to accumulate and acquire a bunch of different ideas and thoughts along my stops with the different people that I work with. Whether it's been Jim Haslett in Washington, where they were strictly three-four base Pittsburgh team, or really being able to do some of the different things that we did last year, being able to mix it up, being able to play some four-down stuff, being able to play a bunch of five-down stuff.

Raheem Morris

To put a lot of words into just a few, the 49ers will be more multiple under Morris. Morris acknowledged that the four-man front that Saleh ran was smart. Given the 49ers' personnel is not drastically different, Morris understands that veering far off of the Saleh defense would not be the best move, at least not yet.

So, this will likely remain the staple or base front, which is what Morris mentioned. However, Morris was also sure to mention that while that might be their base look, the reality is that they will have multiple looks on defense. Morris talked about all of his stops and the different defenses that he learned. He talked about the value of five-man fronts, which would mean more 3-4 looks. 

While it does sound like there will be a sprinkling or dabbling or 3-4 looks, it does sound like they are going to come this year. That does make sense considering Romello Height did most of his pass rushing standing up, which would not happen in a 4-3 look. 

The biggest difference between Saleh and Morris is that Morris is more willing to throw change-ups and mix things up mid-series, mid-game, and mid-season. The pros are that the different looks are harder to prepare for, and they have more answers for different offenses. The downside is that it requires a lot of versatile and smart defenders to think fast, and potentially not play as fast. While Saleh runs a predictable defense, he gets his players to play smart and fast, and they do not make mistakes. 

So, Morris might bring a little more boom even if there is a little more bust to it. How many and what looks he runs will likely come down his comfort level in the players he has. This will be interesting to see. 

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