One Regret 49ers Should Have After Eagles Win Super Bowl LIX

The last time the Chiefs lost a Super Bowl, it led the 49ers to regret not signing Tom Brady. This time it is leading them to regret not hiring a coach.

Dec 1, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio on the field before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The cliché NFL phrase of "defense wins championships" hasn't been too relevant in the last six seasons.

However, Super Bowl LIX saw the return of the cliche phrase when the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs. The Eagles put on a masterclass defensive display against the Chiefs and future Hall of Fame quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Mahomes and Andy Reid had zero answers against the supremely talented Eagles' defense. It was just like their loss four years ago against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That was a Super Bowl that led the San Francisco 49ers to regret not signing Tom Brady in the offseason.

Well, the 49ers should have another regret after the Eagles won Super Bowl LIX. That regret is not hiring Vic Fangio to be their defensive coordinator two years ago. The 49ers elected to go with Steve Wilks after DeMeco Ryans took off for Houston.

Fangio was right there for the taking and the 49ers said "We're good. Thanks!" and went with Wilks. It was all because Kyle Shanahan wanted to keep the same scheme they have been running since 2017. Wilks was fine with adapting to their scheme, which is why they hired him.

Fangio wasn't okay with it and only wanted to implement his own. As much as Shanahan liked Fangio, he wasn't willing to sacrifice his desire to maintain the defensive structure that worked out for them. The change from a 4-3 to a 3-4 and likely scrapping the wide nine wasn't appealing.

How does that decision look now?

The 49ers have fired their last two defensive coordinators while Fangio called arguably the greatest defensive performance against Mahomes and the Chiefs. Fangio was able to make the most of the talent the Eagles have and garnered magical results.

If it wasn't for Fangio, the Eagles wouldn't win the Super Bowl. His schemes, coverages, and designs allowed the Eagles to get after Mahomes with their defensive front. That could've been the 49ers last year if Shanahan wasn't stubborn in his defensive stance.

Most importantly, Fangio is an entrenched defensive coordinator. He is not a person who will leave for a head coaching opportunity. Once you hire Fangio, you are set for a long time barring conflict and underperformances.

It's funny how two of the Chiefs' Super Bowl losses have the 49ers looking silly on passing on critical additions to their teams. At least they can hold their heads high on running it back with the same core repeatedly.

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