The 49ers’ ‘don’t-screw-it-up’ mentality on special teams has done exactly that

This is the final part of our eight-part State of the 49ers series — where we’ve assessed each position group and introduce some high-level solutions to get the team back into next season’s Super Bowl hunt.

We saved the worst for last.

The 49ers were absolutely abominable on special teams in 2024, leading to the firing of coordinator Brian Schneider. They’ve since replaced him with Brant Boyer, who served as the New York Jets’ special teams coordinator from 2016 to 2024.

But history suggests that Boyer alone won’t be enough to fix the 49ers’ special teams, which finished ranked dead last — No. 32 — in expected points added (EPA). Schneider, after all, was considered a good coordinator over his decade (2010 to 2020) in charge of Seattle’s special teams. The Seahawks frequently ranked in the NFL’s top five during his run there. A Schneider-led special teams unit didn’t crater to cellar-dweller status until he coached for the 49ers, who are cumulatively ranked second-worst since 2016 in this phase of the game.

Like Schneider, Boyer has a good track record entering his tenure with the 49ers. He coached a pair of top-shelf Jets special teams units. His most recent poor season, 2020, came when New York fielded an infamously barren roster.

So how can the 49ers ensure that this change of leadership ends their special teams malaise?

To answer that, let’s zoom in on just how bad the 49ers were in 2024. Overall special teams EPA is a conglomeration of several different disciplines — from field goal kicking to punt returns and coverage — so it is necessary to view performance in splits.

Darker blue indicates a better rank, while darker red denotes a worse rank. The 49ers registered red marks across the entire board in 2024. They literally did nothing well on special teams, managing to sink lower than even the 2021 nightmare — which saw horrific giveaways on kick returns.

The 2021 team, of course, held the redemptive talent of kicker Robbie Gould. The past two versions of the 49ers have instead worked with Jake Moody, who headlined 2024’s special teams woes in an especially fitting manner.

Moody opened the season 14-of-15 on field goals before suffering a high ankle sprain against Arizona. That injury happened because of a poorly executed kickoff and coverage — the 49ers ranked No. 31 in this regard — and threw Moody completely off track. The 49ers went through two more kickers while he was out (replacement Matthew Wright got hurt on kick coverage just four days later). Moody then went 11-of-20 upon his return. That was nine missed kicks down the stretch. NFL teams have cut kickers with far less blemished résumés.

But it appears the 49ers will retain Moody, a third-round pick of the 2023 draft — at least for now. The team believes in his raw talent — on display with a 55-yard field goal late in Super Bowl LVIII — and the delineation in performance before and after his ankle injury does suggest there’s at least a chance Moody can rediscover earlier form. He remains on a team-favorable rookie contract for two more seasons.

Keeping Moody, though, won’t preclude the 49ers from adding kicking competition. They’ve been doing their research. Prior to the East-West Shrine Bowl last month, the 49ers met with college prospect Andres Borregales. It’s likely that Boyer is scouting other options, too.

The 49ers also have a headache at punter, where Mitch Wishnowsky played only nine games in 2024 before heading to injured reserve with a back injury. The team finished No. 29 in punt EPA. Wishnowsky remains under contract for two more seasons, but the 49ers will have to add another punter if his back remains of any concern leading into 2025.

Then there are the ongoing cases of abysmal coverage and return units. The 49ers haven’t returned a punt for a touchdown since 2011, Jim Harbaugh’s first season as coach. They haven’t taken a kickoff for a score since 2018, coach Kyle Shanahan’s second season in charge. And their coverage was bad enough to get two kickers injured in the span of five days in 2024.

In fact, the data shows that the 49ers — who ranked No. 28 in average starting field position of their opponents — would’ve been better off kicking the ball through the end zone for a touchback on every kickoff instead of even attempting coverage. Alas, they struggled to do even that, and opponents averaged starting field position beyond the 30-yard line against them.

How Boyer builds out his coverage units will be interesting. The 49ers still have special teams ace George Odum under contract, but the unit is sure to feature some new faces. The team released linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, who’d logged 1,284 special teams snaps over the past five seasons, earlier this week. Boyer might lobby for the 49ers to bring in trusted talent from his time with the Jets.

So, back to the original question: How can the 49ers ensure that the change of leadership to Boyer actually ends their special teams malaise?

Perhaps top-down care about special teams is of paramount importance. And that starts with Shanahan, who’s repeated over the years that he simply doesn’t want special teams to lose games for the 49ers. There’s been preciously little talk of the 49ers trying to find the winning edge with special teams.

Sights, instead, have seemed intent on “don’t screw it up.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, special teams has screwed it up. The unit’s 68 expected points lost in 2024 marked the difference between a winning and losing point differential for the 49ers.

A good tangible example might come in the realm of fake punts. Remarkably, the 49ers have not called a single fake punt since 2014 — Harbaugh’s final season as coach. That’s the longest such drought in the NFL. Opponents have called 11 fake punts against the 49ers in that time span, and some have been game-changing plays. (The Los Angeles Rams might’ve turned defeat into victory with a Week 3 fake punt against the 49ers.) Shanahan has gone eight seasons without calling a fake punt. (Wishnowsky improvised on his own to fake a punt two seasons ago, but it was called back by penalty anyway.)

Boyer called nine fake punts over his time with the Jets, including six over the past three seasons. Of course, such calls start with the head coach, which presents the operative question: Will Shanahan reform his approach to special teams and give Boyer the necessary green lights?

Given how horrid the 49ers have been on special teams, something has to change — and the data suggests that a simple coordinator swap might not be enough. But infusing some more decision-making zeal into this phase of the game might just do the trick.