49ers hire Jets' Brant Boyer as special teams coordinator: What he brings to San Francisco
It turns out that Robert Saleh isn't the only ex-New York Jets coach the San Francisco 49ers are bringing out west.
The team announced Monday that it hired Brant Boyer to run its special teams, the same role he's held with the Jets since 2016. Boyer, who played 10 seasons in the NFL, will replace Brian Schneider. The 49ers let Schneider go following a season in which they had several costly special teams lapses and kicker Jake Moody struggled down the stretch.
The San Francisco 49ers name Brant Boyer Special Teams Coordinator
📰: https://t.co/SR5VcKclkU pic.twitter.com/GJiFV0Y5TO
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 27, 2025
One of Boyer's first tasks will be deciding on the two kicker positions. Moody, a third-round draft pick in 2023, missed 10 field goals during the 2024 season and his 70.6 percent rate was the second worst among full-time kickers. Punter Mitch Wishnowsky, meanwhile, missed half the season with a back issue and is due to count $2.3 million against the salary cap in 2025.
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The 49ers also allowed a blocked punt, surrendered a fake punt and got very little pop from their punt-return game, a trend that goes back to when coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch first arrived in San Francisco in 2017. The 49ers have not had a punt return for a touchdown since 2011. Their last kick-return touchdown was turned in by Richie James during the 2018 season.
The 49ers special teams DVOA ranked 11th in 2017 under then-coordinator Richard Hightower but has been headed in the wrong direction since.
Though the Jets' special teams dipped a bit in 2024, Boyers' units have been consistently strong over the last decade, especially in kickoff coverage, something at which the 49ers have struggled in recent seasons.
While being coached by Boyer, two Jets players — Braxton Berrios in 2022 and Andre Roberts in 2018 — were named AP All-Pros as returners while three others, Justin Hardee (2023), Roberts (2019) and kicker Jason Myers (2019), made Pro Bowl appearances.
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