Veteran defensive mind Jerry Gray joins the 49ers, bringing decades of NFL experience to bolster the team's secondary and defensive strategy.
According to CBS Sports insider Matt Zenitz, the 49ers are expected to hire veteran assistant Jerry Gray to replace departing defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks, who recently left for the Green Bay Packers. The move signals another step in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s effort to retool the defensive staff alongside new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.
Gray arrives in San Francisco with decades of NFL experience as both a player and coach. A former first-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 1985, Gray spent six seasons with the franchise before finishing his playing career with the Houston Oilers in 1992 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1993. His transition from player to coach came quickly, beginning at SMU in the mid-1990s before breaking into the NFL with the Tennessee Titans organization in 1997.
During his first stint in Tennessee, Gray helped guide the Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV, establishing himself as a respected defensive mind. He later served as defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills from 2001 to 2005 and went on to coach defensive backs for Washington and the Seattle Seahawks. Gray returned to Tennessee as defensive coordinator from 2011 to 2013 before spending extended stretches developing secondaries with the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers.
Most recently, Gray served as assistant head coach and defensive assistant with the Atlanta Falcons from 2023 to 2025, where he worked under Morris. That connection is significant. Morris and Gray already have an established working relationship, and bringing that familiarity to San Francisco should ease the transition as the 49ers look to rebound defensively in 2026.
For a team that has built its identity around dominant defense, adding a seasoned voice like Gray could prove pivotal. His track record developing defensive backs and coordinating NFL units gives the 49ers both stability and experience in a key coaching role. If the hire becomes official, San Francisco won’t just be adding another assistant, they’ll be adding a coach who has seen nearly every defensive evolution the modern NFL has to offer.