On Wednesday, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that defensive coordinator Steve Wilks will transition from the coaching box to the sideline, starting this weekend against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"We're going to put him on that field this week, something we've talked about for a little bit," Shanahan said. "I think there's pluses to it and minuses to it, but we'll see what we like about this week."
Addressing reporters before Thursday's practice, Wilks shared his initial thoughts on the adjustment, stressing that the storyline has been overblown.
"Guys, to me, just very candid, I think we're making a bigger deal out of it than it needs to be, to be honest," Wilks said. "But I just want to be able to communicate with the guys a little bit more during the game. Certain things that I'm seeing, I'd rather be able to talk to them directly than communicate [through] coaches.
"I think our coaches do a great job, number one, throughout the week, but also in-game adjustments. That's one of the things I really pride ourselves on, and how we communicate as a staff and making the right things throughout the game. So it's just really, with me, just wanting to be able to communicate with those guys a little bit more."
Wilks added, "I think it's more or less than the communication part that we can have that dialogue, direct face-to-face, and try to make the adjustments that we need to make throughout the game. ... Now, I can go right over to the D-line and say, 'Okay, I'm looking to change this up next series.'"
With San Francisco looking to break a three-game losing streak, all eyes are on TIAA Bank Field this Sunday. Shanahan is optimistic that this transition will provide a boost to a defense that has struggled in recent weeks. Much of the criticism has fallen on Wilks' shoulders.
"I can honestly say I'm sort of built for this," Wilks said. "Not in an arrogant way, but I've always believed it's two things. It's what you hear and what you listen to. So I hear a lot of the outside noise. I don't listen to it, good or bad. ... I've been doing this for a while, and I understand the emotions of this game and what we play at this level. I try not to be emotional.
"We're 5-3. The standard is so high here, and we lost three in a row, that everybody feels like the ceiling is collapsing on us. We're in a good position. We need to turn it around. So we got a lot of football ahead of us. We want to start progressing, get better in November, and start playing our best in December. So I've seen this, I've been around this. I can take it."
When asked about Wilks' move to the sidelines, linebacker Fred Warner said, "Whether it be him giving the calls or staying with [linebackers coach] Johnny [Holland], having him down there connected with us on the field is going to be great. ... It just makes it easier for him being down there to be able to talk face to face."
Thursday was also the first time Wilks spoke to reporters since the acquisition of defensive end Chase Young. The coach took a moment to express his thoughts on the new addition to the defensive front.
"I think he has truly come in and fit into the culture that these guys have set," Wilks shared. "I think [DE Nick] Bosa has made that transition seamless for him, and I think he's excited just because he's in a different climate, different element.
"He came in, in Washington, and was thrust in a situation where he had to be a leader as a rookie, and that's tough when you have no one to really look to the right or left to try to pattern yourself after. So he has a lot of guys here in this locker room that he can lean on."
