If you can’t beat ’em, hire ’em.

Apparently, that’s what the 49ers considered after firing defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.

Via Taylor Wirth of NBC Sports Bay Area, ESPN’s Dan Graziano recently reported that the 49ers explored luring Steve Spagnuolo away from the Chiefs.

Spagnuolo’s contract was expiring. He could have gone anywhere. He signed an extension with the Chiefs.

The Chiefs, with Spagnuolo running the defense, have beaten the 49ers in two of the last five Super Bowls, LIV and LVIII.

Coach Kyle Shanahan seemingly wanted to stick with the Seattle/Cover 3 defense. He apparently would have made an exception if he could have gotten Spagnuolo away from the Chiefs.

Spagnuolo has authored some of the greatest defensive game plans in Super Bowl history. He would have been a potent weapon for the 49ers, if they should cross paths again with the Chiefs in the NFL Championship game.

He’s been the Chiefs’ defensive coordinator since 2019; if anyone knows how to come up with a game plan to slow down quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Spagnuolo does.

Out of football in 2018 after finishing his second run with the Giants, Spagnuolo replaced Bob Sutton in 2019. He has won three Super Bowl rings, to go along with the one he won in 2007, when the Giants kept the Patriots from going 19-0 with an upset in Super Bowl XLII.