kj wright
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Free agent NFL LB KJ Wright.
T
he San Francisco 49ers are ready for a new beginning. Coming off of a 12-5 season that ended in disappointment in the NFC divisional playoffs, the 49ers are ready to return to being Super Bowl contenders in 2026 and have gone all-in this offseason on acquiring the necessary pieces to compete. The NFC West is arguably the NFL’s toughest division, so the 49ers are loading up and swinging big.
But while they have made changes to their roster of players, the 49ers are also making adjustments to their coaching staff– with one former foe rising in the ranks of Kyle Shanahan’s staff. Former Seattle Seahawks linebacker, K.J. Wright, is one step closer to becoming a defensive coordinator, receiving a promotion to be the 49ers’ new linebackers coach. Wright’s promotion explains why former defensive coordinator and new Tennessee Titans head coach, Robert Saleh, did not hire him for his own coaching staff.
Wright Receives a Promotion
Spending 11 seasons in the NFL as a linebacker, playing for the Seahawks from 2011-20 and the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021 before retiring, Wright entered coaching in 2024 when he was hired by the 49ers as a defensive quality control coach. Only two years later, Wright is rapidly rising in the coaching ranks after showing promise early on, and will now lead his former position group.
If Wright shines as a linebacker coach, Shanahan may very well have his next defensive coordinator already on staff– if Raheem Morris leaves for a new job at some point in the near future. Led by Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, the 49ers linebacker duo is a major bright spot heading into 2026 and it will be Wright’s job to make sure that they live up to expectations.
Wright Was Made ‘Off Limits’ to Poach
When Saleh left for the Titans job, Wright was of high interest to go to Nashville with Saleh. But he ended up staying with the 49ers and at the NFL owners’ meeting, Saleh told reporters that Wright was deemed off limits by Shanahan from the very beginning.
“He’s going to be a coordinator really quick,” Saleh said. “I could see him easily progressing the way DeMeco did. He’s got the same mindset. He’s got the same respect from his players. KJ’s going to be really good.”
Wright’s career is already shaping up to be like Ryans’, who played 10 seasons in the NFL and became a coach two years after retiring. Ryans also rose quickly in the coaching ranks, spending one season as a quality control coach before being promoted to inside linebackers coach. If Wright does the same, it is just another example of how good Shanahan is at developing both players and coaches.