Steve Wilks already had a lot on his plate during the San Francisco 49ers' first-round bye.

Though the 49ers can't prepare for a specific opponent yet, Wilks was still tasked with preparing his defense for two practices while also interviewing for the head coach position with the Los Angeles Chargers.

And his schedule got even busier on Thursday with the news the Atlanta Falcons have also requested permission to interview Wilks for their vacant head coach role.

While Wilks being in demand complicates his week and potentially makes the 49ers' 2024 plans more difficult, the interviews serve as overdue recognition for a coach who was passed over by the Carolina Panthers last year despite leading them to a 6-6 record in his time as interim coach.

That may prove to have been a blessing in disguise, as it has allowed him to furnish his resume with a 2023 season the 49ers finished fourth in DVOA on the defensive side of the ball and put him in a position to interview for head coaching jobs with teams in a much better position than the Panthers to compete.

The 49ers have done an excellent job filling the void left by defensive coordinators who have landed head coaching roles, replacing Robert Saleh with DeMeco Ryans and having Wilks succeed Ryans.

San Francisco will need to continue that streak if Wilks departs, but it would be tough to bet against the Niners given their track record.

49ers could lose assistant to NFC foe

It’s no surprise he’s attracted interest.