ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the 49ers interviewed former Panthers special teams coordinator Chris Tabor
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the 49ers have interviewed another external candidate for their vacant special teams coordinator position. Unlike the previous interviews, this one has ample experience.
Chris Tabor has worked in the NFL since 2008, where he first landed as the Chicago Bears assistant special teams coach through 2010. From there, he was the coordinator of the special teams for the Cleveland Browns from 2011 to 2017. Tabor returned to the Bears in 2018-2021, holding the same title. He joined the Carolina Panthers for two years as the special teams coordinator and was even the interim head coach after firing Frank Reich. After the regime change, Tabor was not brought back in 2024.
Carolina finished 23rd in DVOA on special teams in 2023. They did finish sixth in kickoff returns. Carolina was much better in 2022 when they finished eighth under Tabor. They were third in punts and sixth in field goals and extra points. Most importantly, the Panthers finished second in “hidden points,” which refers to the estimated advantage a team gains from elements of special teams primarily outside their control.
Examples include the opposing team’s field goal attempts, kickoff and punt distance, etc. How it’s described essentially represents the value of field position gained through the various factors that help calculate these hidden points and how they relate to field position.
The 49ers finished 30th in hidden points this past season, so there’s a correlation here, and it makes sense that Tabor is a candidate.