Steve Wilks' Revenge Game Against the Arizona Cardinals
NFL coaches love to take the high road when asked about playing their former team. Even if their employment ended in a bitter fashion, it's commonplace for coaches to downplay their emotions and mask how they really feel about their former employer.
Steve Wilks doesn't have that luxury because how he feels about the Arizona Cardinals is part of the public domain in a lawsuit he joined in April of 2022. Wilks feels discriminated against. Wilks feels like he wasn't given a fair shot to succeed in Arizona. And Wilks, who is black, feels like the color of his skin is the reason he was fired and replaced with Kliff Kingsbury, who is white. Wilks feels Cardinals GM Steve Keim should have been the one fired after making poor decisions (including a DUI). Wilks feels the Cardinals never had a long-term plan for him and hired him as a "bridge coach."
In the summer of 2022, Wilks was asked why he joined the lawsuit, which was started by Vikings' Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores.
"I'm all about change," Wilks said. "I'll leave it at that."
From those accusations, taken directly from his lawsuit, we can assume Wilks also feels disrespected and undervalued. And he's probably right.
Wilks went on to have a successful coaching stint with the Panthers which included a 6-6 record (and near playoff berth) as interim head coach with a bad roster. It's a small sample size with San Francisco, but Wilks is currently thriving as the 49ers' defensive coordinator. Kingsbury meanwhile, went 27-38-1 and was fired after four seasons. In fact, Kingsbury's role in Netflix's "Untold: Johnny Football" was probably a more impressive performance than anything he's done on a football field since his 2019 hire.
49ers -14 vs. Arizona
Believe it or not, this isn't a legal article, nor is it a commentary about racism in sports. It's a sports betting article, and with the 49ers a 14-point favorite against the Cardinals Sunday, I imagine Wilks would love nothing more than a dominant performance that helps expose the ineptitude within the walls of his former organization.
If the 49ers find themselves up with a large lead in the second half, as many expect, don't be surprised if San Francisco's defense pours it on instead of playing more of a prevent-style defense. And don't be surprised if the 49er super stars on offense and defense are a little extra motivated to assist their leader in pouring salt in Arizona's wounds.
Kyle Shanahan knows a thing or two about bitter relationships with former employers. The 49ers' head coach was once asked in 2019 what was the best thing about working for Washington and he said, "Being able to work with my Dad and be around other good coaches." And when reports followed up by asking the worst part, he said, "Everything else."
If Wilks chooses to take his frustration out on Arizona and dance on the Cardinals' graves Sunday, I think he'd have Shannahan's blessing. I'll leave it at that.
Pick: 49ers -14 vs. Arizona
