Raheem Morris - DC, 49ers Event: Press Conference | Date: 2026-09-08 | Full transcript (primary source).
Raheem Morris addressed the media during a press conference for the 49ers on September 8, 2026, as the team prepares for the upcoming NFL season. Morris discussed the team's progress, the challenges ahead, and the importance of player performance as they gear up for their first game.
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Transcript
Morris: All right, how's everybody doing? All right, fire away.
Morris: I'm excited about all of them. I mean, you know, a lot of guys putting in a lot of good work. We got a great core group of guys. Obviously, we're excited about the new guys, Mike, some of our rookies, Strip, Kalen, a lot of guys. So I'm just excited to see our guys who've been putting in the work, you know, go out there and put it on the field and, you know, start our season off. So it's been a good week and looking forward to the game.
Morris: It's a very difficult challenge. You know, two all-time greats, you know, and two guys that can wreck a game plan if you don't have a plan for them and you don't have attention on them on every play. And so that's one of the many challenges of playing against these guys, those two guys. But they got good players on their entire defensive line, their entire defense, so we got our work cut out for us. But we're putting in the work and getting ready for it. So it's gonna be a huge challenge.
Morris: I don't think so. I think you play who you feel most comfortable with. I think I said this a few weeks ago, though, is like we look at guard like there's never any reason why you guys can't rotate as well. I mean, multiple guys can play in the game and we'll see how the game goes with who we start and kind of how we want to do the rotation. But you got to get a feel for how the game's going, how guys are handling stuff. So it's nothing settled, nothing's determined right now. It's not going to be based on experience necessarily. We're going to go with who we think should start based on who's had the best camp and kind of where they're at and to see how the game goes. So I don't know, we're going to have multiple guys up and multiple guys ready to go, so whether they rotate or not, you know, that'll be determined how the game goes.
Morris: Yeah, I think you've seen a guy really in his fifth year who's just kind of in a lot of ways mastered his craft in terms of his preparation, the way he approaches the offseason, the way he seeks to improve and get better every day. He's very confident in himself and kind of his process, and that's what to me is really jumping out this year is Brock's process and the way he gets ready for a game, the way he handles an offseason. He has his way of doing it and it works, and he's really owned it.
Morris: You know, in terms of being in our system, I think he has really grown to be really comfortable. Whether he's mastered things, I don't know if he would say that, but he's very comfortable in a lot of things and he's very capable of being challenged with new things, and he wants new things. Guys like that are a lot of fun to work with because they know what they're good at, but they want to be challenged with new things and they can handle it. And Brock's ready to go on and take on a new season, so I'm real excited about where he's at and looking forward to seeing how he plays.
Morris: It's been great. You know, I've loved having Deebo back. I love his attitude, love the way he's been working at practice every day, being willing to help our team in any way he needs to. And, you know, we got to get Deebo the ball, we got to get him his touches like he's going to get, because he can affect the game in a lot of ways. And so looking forward to seeing what Deebo can do.
Morris: I wouldn't say that. I mean, Deebo has always been, to me, I've always had a lot of admiration for the way Deebo plays, the way he goes about his work. I mean, nobody's more physical and explosive with the ball in their hand, the way he competes on game day, and he's been that same guy to me every day.
Morris: Yeah, a lot. He's obviously the veteran presence, just he's seen a lot of football and he's a very savvy, confident veteran football player who adds a lot of leadership qualities to our room. And he's a matchup issue.
Morris: And he's a guy who, to me, what I've been most impressed about, Mike, is Mike doesn't ask a lot of questions. He doesn't overthink a lot of things. Give me the route, tell me the play, I'm gonna find a way to get it done. And I really respect that about Mike. He doesn't overthink it, and he's a competitor.
Morris: And, um, really like we've been seeing, he's been out there practicing these past couple days, looks good, and like everyone else, looking forward to the season and seeing how we can grow in our offense.
Morris: I wouldn't say I've noticed it a ton. You know, I don't, I don't, it hasn't stood out to me, but I know they have been working together and I know Strip has been eating up whatever information he can get from Mike, from everybody really. Strip's been absorbing a lot.
Morris: And, um, so, but I wouldn't say anything stood out to me in terms of their relationship.
Morris: Yes, I mean, that's what we've said kind of all along. That's one of the reasons why we drafted him is kind of how he is, how he's carried himself, the way he was in college, the way he played, the way he, you know, his character on tape in college is what we loved, and it's only shown up since he's been here. He's a very mature, smart young man, and he's a good football player, so he's got a bright future.
Morris: You know, um, yeah, he did have a good preseason, had a really good training camp. We expect Kalen, when he gets in there and gets his touches, to run very hard like he's been doing, to add some explosiveness to our run game. And I expect Kalen to play like he's been playing all preseason, to be on his details, to be on it in pass protection, in the pass game, and go out there and execute and add a spark to our offense when his number's called upon.
Morris: 100%. Those two guys are really in the same bucket for me. It's why they're ready to go out there and help our offense right now is that's how they're wired, and they're ready to go.
Morris: You know, I think, I mean, obviously Kyle's had a lot of influence on this league in terms of, you know, the style of offense we play, running the ball, marrying running and passing together, all those things, you know. But to me, it's just the preparation. I mean, I think Kyle, the way he looks at the game, the way he, you know, attacks defenses, and then the way he is with players, you know, getting guys ready to play, getting them to play confidently, it's pretty special.
Morris: And, you know, I think Kyle would say this is not about the idea, it's not about the scheme, it's the way you put the work you put in, the way you get players confident to go out there and execute it, and nobody's better at that than him. So, um, it's been pretty cool for me to be around and see him do it.
Morris: I think this is unprecedented for both teams, and you know, nobody wants to stand up here and speculate right now, oh, this is the right way to do it. I think both teams have their reasons for doing it the way they're going to do it. You know, people are probably going to speculate after the game, well, this was better than the other, but at the end of the day, we're going to go out there and play. It's an unprecedented situation. We believe in the way we're doing it, they believe in the way they're doing it, and we're going to play the game. So it's really, at the end of the day, it's all there is to it.
Morris: Yeah, he's looked good. You know, I'm super impressed with how he's looked considering, you know, the injury he had and, you know, how quickly he got back out on the field and just committed to his rehab. And it's been pretty cool to see Kyle out there looking like himself to me and looking fresh. And, you know, how that affects him on game day and how much what the workload is, you know, that'll be determined, but he looks good to me. He's practicing full speed, he's getting a ton of reps, so I feel like we're in good shape.
Morris: Yeah, we got to see how it gets through the rest of the week. We got two more practices, but Kittle looks good.
Morris: Yeah, he's, you know, a tough, physical, very good athlete that's playing the wide receiver position. That's what we've loved about him from day one, his physicality, his competitiveness, how smart he is. He's a rookie who's absorbed a lot, and we put a lot on his plate, and he's responded to those challenges. And, you know, he's going to be a big part of our offense and just looking forward to seeing him out there getting him going.
Morris: I have no idea. I've not been out interacting with the fans, but, um, you know, we'll see. I hear it's going to be more Niner fans, but we'll see when we get out there what's going on.
Morris: That was on a plane, Sarah. What's up, guys? Happy birthday.
Morris: No, I did. I've been, oh, that's aggressive. I've been missing birthdays for years, you know, football comes with that, especially when you're a Virgo and you get into this business. You probably haven't had a birthday either, so we're always doing something, whether we're getting ready for the first game, no matter what's been going on for the last 20 or so years.
Morris: Obviously, you guys know I'm old because it's Chef Detail today, but I'm 50.
Morris: What a jerk he is, but, um, it is what it is. That's what I'm talking about. Let's go.
Morris: No, but I'm gonna blow that candle on that top of that thing.
Morris: Oh, thank you. I appreciate that, the zone. Thank you, thank you.
Morris: I mean, Aaron's like one of my all-time favorite people. If you spend any time around him like I know you guys have, you know, Sarah, one of the best people in the world, one of the best football people that you can ever be around. Really special. I wish he would just stay retired at least until next week.
Morris: But, um, you know, I feel about Aaron. I mean, we've done special things together. We've been around each other a lot. Feel great about him, um, other than when we got to play. I'm not sure which day that is, I just know we're gonna play him out here.
Morris: No, I mean, he always stays ready. I used to joke with him and always tell him he's gonna get fat when he retired, and he always told me there's no chance. And he's right, you know, he's gonna stay in shape, stay ready to go, and you know, obviously the Rams provided an opportunity for him to come back, and he made his mind up.
Morris: And, you know, after the second or third workout that you guys reported, I figured he was coming back.
Morris: I think that's something that you have with both of these guys, you know, like Kyle and Sean. I was looking for an edge, you know, a couple years ago Sean created the jet sweep and got his run game going. You know, years before that Kyle's been doing it with the 21 personnel and people kind of involved and been doing 21 personnel. You know, Sean went to the 13, so these guys are always trying to stay ahead, no matter what's going on.
Morris: When you're in practice and you're preparing, you're planning for this journey called the season, they're always going to give you the best of the best. They're gonna give you the best opportunities to go out there and learn and grow every single day, whether they say it or not. If you pay attention, you'll get it. And usually the trend kind of happened with these two guys, and they have for a little while. You know, obviously there's other really great coordinators in this league. We talk about Sean Payton and some of these other guys, but these are two of the best to do it and that's doing it right now.
Morris: Hey, welcome to Melbourne. Yes, happy birthday.
Morris: It was in the air. I'm not sure it happened. I'm still 49, bro.
Morris: Melbourne fans who are coming to watch, what can we expect to see from the San Fran day games? What are we looking for?
Morris: You know, I think it's just the San Fran defense. We're the ultimate team, you know, and I think like you got to like really good opponents that's been going together for years. I've been on both sides of the spectrum now, and it is going to be fun. It's going to be fun for you guys to watch a very physical, well-fought battle by both teams, and I think it'll be enjoyable, you know, for the Aussie fans. They get a chance to watch physical play, to get a chance to watch great players on both sides of the ball, future Hall of Famers. I couldn't think of a better game to watch if I was a Melbourne and Aussie.
Morris: I say thank you, I'm glad to be here.
Morris: He came out yesterday and did a nice job of practicing. You guys got a chance to see him. He's done an amazing thing. You know, I think he missed maybe 10 days, that probably was about five or six practices, whatever the case may be. Feeling really good where he was going, his growth, his development. You know, but at the same time, you know, when you prepare for rookies, you prepare for those guys to be able to be in the lineup, be out of the lineup. You know what it's like to play in the National Football League. We all know. We expect these guys to know from having the experience in college, but it's different. You know, these are grown men doing grown men things, and we'll ease them into this thing getting ready to go.
Morris: Stop fighting over me, guys.
Morris: Well, Nick Bosa's really easy. You know, you watch this guy do it over a span a long time in his career. Been able to do it at different levels, a different question, and what we just talked about, Romello, where we haven't seen him do it yet. Bosa knows his body as well as anybody. He'll be prepared and ready to go as well as anybody, whether it's from a conversation to point from meetings, from a conversation to point from what he needs to get ready for his body. Very high confidence level in where he's going to be.
Morris: Oh man, that's you, the first person ever say his real name, Obo.
Morris: Well, fortunately, two guys that I have a lot of experience with, right? Kareem last year, the last couple years in Atlanta, and then obviously Obo with LA. And being able to watch those two guys go out there and compete this week and be at a high level, it's going to be fun. Two guys that I got a lot of confidence in, two guys that I was fortunate enough to be able to have some say to be able to get here and try to help us. So, this personnel department does a great job of identifying people that we need when these things happen, so we're fired up.
Morris: Oh, Nick Bosa? Oh, Lindsey, he's going out there. You can whatever you want to say, he's going. He'll be there. We're not hiding that.
Morris: I don't think I'm trying to adjust. You know, the game's at 10. I think I'm trying to wake up and do what you normally do. My day's a little bit longer out here, being in Aussie. I have the ability to wake up, go through the day, have enough energy to be able to get through practice, and then when I get tired, we'll be back on a plane.
Morris: So, um, I think it's been a great place to be. I think, you know, how they're taking care of us out here, whether it's been the food that they're feeding us, the beautiful hotel that we're staying in, the convenience of everybody around our building, around our facilities. I can't say enough positive things about the experience.
Morris: I'll let you know on the plane when we're taking off.
Morris: We did, though. We got a chance to get out and see your city, and the guys got me some cheesecake and got a chance to have our first day here and really enjoy that with the coaching staff and a couple of the guys that were there.
Morris: Ronardo, we'll be out there in practice today. We'll definitely see where he's at. You know, obviously we've seen both before we left. We got a chance to see him a little bit throughout the process. We'll see more of him today. But Ronardo's kind of, you know, I don't want to say a step behind, but he's right there in that mix, and we'll get a chance to watch him practice and do some different things as well.
Morris: Now, let's been out there the last couple of weeks practicing, so I shouldn't say weeks, last couple of days practicing. And, you know, obviously those things will play out as we go, and then, you know, we still got, you know, practice today, practice tomorrow, and Friday, and we got a Saturday walkthrough, so these guys got a bunch of time to get there.
Morris: I'm coming, I promise.
Morris: I'll give you your last question.
Morris: Defensively, what do you feel like you guys need to do to take your team to the next level? Offensively, recruited pretty well this offseason. What do you feel like you guys need to do to make sure you're there at Bream's home ground?
Morris: Being super long, you know, that's way too soon to talk about those things. I know that's like fun for, you know, people out there, but for us, it's just one day at a time, and really it's about us, right? It's going out there, being able to accomplish the things that we need to get done in order to be the best version of ourselves. The season, as we know, is a long season. You got to continue to grow every single week, and the ideal plan is to get better and better every single week.
Morris: That's definitely a Nick question, but you know, like Nick's a pro. Nick's a pro at everything he does, the ultimate pro. You know, he's got some calming features to him that really he's able to communicate at a very high level, which I'm sure is communicating with Kyle. You know, obviously those guys will handle all those situations right now, but when you talk about me anticipating them being out there, I definitely anticipate that because of who he is and what he's done, how he's going about his process to get ready for this.
Morris: Yeah, let's just cut to the chase. They're a pain in the ass, right? And you got to go out there and compete. You know, it was around Polka when he got drafted very early. Devante's been a pain in the ass for a very long time in the National Football League for all of us. These guys are well coached, they play the game the right way, and it'll be certainly a big challenge for all of our guys that go out there and play against these guys.
Morris: A little bit of both, you know, it'd be hard to say which is more important. You know, when you're on defense, you got the ability to go out there and really play with a certain standard, and you know, I'll stand it as I'll stand it, and that will never change as long as Kyle's the head coach. And then the other thing we're talking about, the technique and things, those technique and opportunity meetings, that's how you make plays in almost every sport that I've ever participated in or coached in or been a part of. So I think all those things come into play at different levels at different times.
Morris: Thank you, guys.