The 49ers have interviewed their second candidate for special teams. This one is a former NFL player with 10 years of experience
The San Francisco 49ers announced that they had interviewed their second candidate in as many days. Chris Banjo, an assistant special teams coach with the Denver Broncos, conducted a virtual interview with head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.
As with Jett Modkins on Sunday, this was a virtual interview, likely to appease the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview at least two minority candidates.
Banjo is only 34. He was in the NFL as a special teamer from 2013-2022 and immediately joined the Broncos in 2023. Banjo might lack coaching experience, but he lived a life where all he knows is preparing for special teams and attending those meetings.
Denver finished fourth in the NFL in scheduled adjusted efficiency on special teams. They were second in punt returns and fifth in field goals and extra points. Again, these interviews are more about assessing candidates’ information to see if their direction aligns with what Shanahan and Lynch want moving forward.
Banjo becomes the third known candidate for the 49ers special teams coordinator position after Modkins and Nick Sorensen.