The 49ers brought K.J. Wright onto their staff ahead of the 2024 season, and the former Seahawks linebacker is already drawing big praise from one of his old coaches.
Commanders linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr., who coached Wright in Seattle, said Wright has the kind of makeup that can carry him a long way in the profession.
“K.J. can take this as far as he wants to,” Norton Jr. said, via Matt Barrows of The Athletic. “He understands that if he’s gonna be a great coach, the little things matter.
It’s the little things that take care of big things. He doesn’t have an ego that gets in the way.
“If K.J. wants to be the greatest linebackers coach ever, if he wants to be a defensive coordinator, if he wants to be a head coach - it’s all out there for him.”
Wright, now entering his third year on the 49ers’ staff, isn’t locking himself into the head-coaching path just yet. But he does know where he wants to go next.
“I do want to be a really good linebackers coach, and I do know I want to be a defensive coordinator. I for sure know that.
And so I’m working toward that. And we’ll see.
We’ll see once it gets past that point. Ask me again once I become defensive coordinator.”
In Los Angeles, Rams first-round quarterback Ty Simpson is settling in behind reigning MVP Matthew Stafford, and he’s not shy about how much he’s leaning on the veteran.
“I mean, he’s the MVP for a reason,” Simpson said, via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. Everything he does, he’s so just aware of everything.
Aware of how everything works [and is] so detailed. Being in the room with him is just such a blessing.”
“I really appreciate him and Stetson [Bennett IV] taking me in and answering all the questions I have. I know I’m probably annoying them, but it’s been really helpful. I can’t thank them enough.”
“[Stafford has] taken us all in. And I really appreciate it because he didn’t have to do that.
And anything that I can ask him and I can just take in, I’m willing to. So like I said, I hope I’m not annoying him, but I really appreciate the big brother kind of role that he’s playing in my development.”
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