49ers news: Nick Sorensen faces tough challenge in first game as DC

It’s finally gameday for the San Francisco 49ers, who get a tough challenge to start the season against the New York Jets on Monday Night Football.

Not only will it be the new-look team’s first game of the season, but it will also be Nick Sorensen’s first game as the play-caller since he was promoted to defensive coordinator earlier this offseason.

Sorensen has been an assistant coach since 2013 after his playing days ended, spending time with the Seattle Seahawks for seven seasons, spending time as a special teams coach and a secondary coach before a one-year stint in Jacksonville as the special teams coordinator.

Then, he joined the 49ers in 2022 as a defensive assistant, being promoted to a passing game specialist and the nickels coach in 2023 before finally earning the defensive coordinator job after Steve Wilks was fired this offseason.

It will be Sorensen’s first season calling plays for a defense, and it comes at a crucial time for the 49ers, as they’re making another push for a Super Bowl after falling just short last year to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Has much changed with Sorensen’s routine during a game week compared to years past?

“I think it’s just going through the week now. I think it’s just a change from the offseason to training camp into now. For me, it was more just remembering the schedule and how we kind of go through the days. I think that would’ve been like that in any position,” Sorensen shared ahead of Monday night’s game.

“Obviously, it is different for me, being in this position. But it was more because we changed the schedule later in the year a little bit, to tweak it, like everybody does. It was just kind of remembering what the process was and what was next and how we chip away at it, because you just work so hard, you don’t have time to think other than just work. So to say, ‘Does it feel that much different?’ It doesn’t because it’s just, you’re grinding and you’re trying to work to do everything you can to win.”

However, while the defensive coordinator doesn’t think much has changed when it comes to the mindset, Sorensen noted that there are yearly changes, such as with the coaching staff.

“Is it different because we also have some new coaches? Absolutely. We have a lot of young coaches that are new to us, as well as [assistant head coach/defense Brandon] Staley coming in. I think it’s different every year,” Sorensen said. “I don’t think it’s that shockingly different to where it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ It’s just, ‘Let’s do the work.’ And ‘Hey, when’s the next meeting again? Let me look at the schedules.’ That’s pretty much it.”

In his first game as a coordinator, Sorensen will have his hands full, as he’ll face off against a healthy Aaron Rodgers, who is making his return from a torn Achilles injury sustained in Week 1 last year.

With the uncertainty around Rodgers’s level of play following the injury, the defensive coordinator is expecting nothing but the best from the former MVP in Week 1.

“Because we haven’t seen tape other than, you might see him throw once on TV or something when someone is at camp. I would assume he’s back to where he is, feeling great,” Sorensen said. “His arm is his arm, as long as he can move, which I would think that he can. And he’s put himself in that position. He’s been getting a lot of reps at practice. I think he’s been ready. He came back so fast at that point last year, I think, from that injury. So I think we’re going to see his best.”

It’ll be interesting to see what changes Sorensen makes from how Steve Wilks called things a year ago. With the internal hire, it seems the 49ers are looking to return to the defense from years past, but every coordinator has their own flair to add, and San Francisco’s DC will get his first chance to showcase that on Monday night.