Why the Players Were Responsible for the 49ers' Defensive Drop Off

It really doesn't matter who the 49ers hire to replace Steve Wilks as their defensive coordinator if their star players won't play as hard as they can.

The 49ers' biggest issue on defense this past season was effort, not scheme, despite what the team would have you believe. After they unfairly scapegoated Wilks for losing the Super Bowl, Kyle Shanahan made it seem like Wilks simply was a bad fit schematically because he was an outsider who had to learn the defense the 49ers had been running since 2017.

Convenient excuse.

When the 49ers highly-paid star players decided to play hard, their defense was elite. Like when they embarrassed the Cowboys and the Eagles and held down the Chiefs for 60 minutes in the Super Bowl. In each case, the players' effort was outstanding and Wilks was brilliant.

Even without a consistent effort this season, the 49ers defense gave up just 17.5 points per game, third fewest in the NFL. That's a testament to Wilks.

It's not his job to make Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Arik Armstead, Javon Hargrave and Chase Young play hard. Those players are expected to play hard. It's their job to play hard. They make tons of money so they can inspire their teammates to play hard.

Playing hard is non-negotiable.

If Bosa, Warner, Armstead, Hargrave and Young won't give their best effort consistently for Wilks, who's to say they'll play as hard as they can for the next defensive coordinator? They just got Wilks fired -- they always can scapegoat the next guy for their mistakes.

Maybe they should just look in the mirror and take responsibility.