Atlanta Falcons Host Ex Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals Coach at Practice

The Atlanta Falcons welcomed a well-respected guest to a pair of training camp practices this week.

Former Carolina Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks visited the Atlanta Falcons for training camp practice. / Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- As the Atlanta Falcons worked through their sixth training camp practice Wednesday at IBM Performance Field, they did so with an extra set of eyes watching from the sidelines.

Steve Wilks, former Arizona Cardinals head coach, Carolina Panthers interim head coach and, most recently, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator, spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Flowery Branch to watch the Falcons' practices.

Wilks is no stranger to the Falcons, who interviewed the 54-year-old for their vacant defensive coordinator role in 2023 and for their head coach opening this past January before hiring Raheem Morris.

Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said Wednesday afternoon Wilks, who remains unemployed after being fired by the 49ers following the Super Bowl, has floated around the walls of Falcons headquarters.

"We love Steve Wilks, really respect him," Fontenot said. "When you don't have a job, to be able to come and look at it from a bubble -- it's funny, I was teasing him during practice, because it's hard when you're back there, and you see, you want to jump on the field and coach.

"When you're a coach, that's what he does, and so it's probably hard for him not to be getting his hands dirty out there, but just have a lot of respect for him, and Raheem's great about that, opening his door to coaches."

Wilks rose to stardom as the Carolina Panthers' defensive coordinator in 2017 before becoming the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals the following season.

His stint in Arizona lasted only one season, as the Cardinals went 3-13. Wilks rebuilt his stock in 2022, serving as the Panthers' interim head coach and going 6-6 while spearheading an impressive midseason turnaround.

In 2023, San Francisco's defense ranked No. 8 in total defense with 303.9 yards allowed per game, No. 14 in pass defense with 214.2 yards passing allowed per game, No. 3 in run defense with 89.7 rushing yards allowed per game and No. 3 in scoring at 17.5 points allowed.

After the season, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said Wilks isn't a fit for the team's defensive intentions, but that his departure implies nothing about him as a person or coach.

Highly respected around the league, Wilks has been close to joining the Falcons twice in as many off-season's -- and even if it was only for two days, he finally did so this week.