The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers know each other well. The wrinkle that head coaches Mike Macdonald or Kyle Shanahan can throw at one another would be rare. The Divisional Round contest between the two teams might simply come down to which team executes better.
The connection between the Seahawks and 49ers goes beyond simply sharing the same division and having had some players play for each team over the decades. In 2025, one former fan-favorite in Seattle is now helping the 49ers win games as a coach, and linebacker Eric Kendricks is appreciative of that.
KJ Wright played for the Seahawks from 2011 through 2020, helping form one of the best off-ball linebacker duos in NFL history. Wright might not ever make the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but his cohort, Bobby Wagner, should be a first-ballot guy. Wright did make the Pro Bowl in 2016.
49ers linebacker Eric Kendricks gives former Seattle Seahawks LB KJ Wright his flowers
He is currently an assistant linebackers coach and defensive quality control coach in San Francisco. The former Seahawks player has helped a defense decimated by offseason departures and key injuries hold together and be serviceable. San Francisco had a chance at the top seed in the NFC until Week 18, when Seattle defeated them.
Kendricks, who has played in three games for the 49ers this season after joining the team late in November, was ready to give Wright his flowers immediately after San Francisco beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round. The veteran linebacker simply wouldn't have been ready to play without Wright's help.
According to 49ers Webzone, Kendricks said, "KJ Wright, I've been kind of just knocking on his meeting door, getting extra time with him since I got here. So whether it's super early in the morning or after meetings, I feel like he's gotten me prepared. We went through a bunch of situations, watched a bunch of film together. He's got stamina as a coach. Obviously, we know what kind of player he was, but it's been nice to bounce my old playbook off him and kind of compare it to this new one."
A Seahawks fan might wonder what the future holds for KJ Wright. 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is getting a lot of interest in head coaching vacancies this offseason and could leave. He could take Wright with him, potentially with a promotion to linebackers coach.
Or Seattle could lose some coaches to other teams since the team has been so successful. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is getting some buzz about becoming a head coach, but so is defensive coordinator Aden Durde. Even if Durde stays in Seattle, he could lose some assistant coaches. Maybe Wright could take a role in Seattle.
That obviously is more of a hope that KJ Wright simply makes his way back to the Seattle Seahawks. The San Francisco 49ers gave him his first coaching opportunity, and he might feel some loyalty because of that. Even with another team, it is likely that 12s wish him success.