Matt LaFleur is very familiar with the San Francisco 49ers.
He was with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and the Atlanta Falcons from 2015-16 and Washington Redskins from 2010-13 as quarterbacks coach.
LaFleur’s brother, Mike, is the 49ers’ run game coordinator. 49ers’ running backs coach, Bobby Turner, was the running backs coach for that Falcons staff from 2015-16 and with the Redskins from 2010-14.
During a conference call on Wednesday, he also spoke to his relationships with tight ends coach Jon Embree, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, and the 49ers’ strength and conditioning coach, Dustin Little, who is the first cousin of LaFleur’s wife, BreAnne.
LaFleur said he even texted Saleh a few days ago to ask him some questions about the 49ers’ defense.
“I was messing with him the other day,” LaFleur said Wednesday during a conference call. “I asked him to call me. I shot him a text message. I said, ‘Hey, would you give me a call? I have a couple questions about your defense.’”
He said Saleh just laughed.
“That was the last of the communication.”
Most interesting perhaps was LaFluer’s effusive praise of 49ers first-round pick Nick Bosa, who will be tasked with trying to bring down Aaron Rodgers this weekend.
Rodgers is a sure Hall of Famer. According to LaFleur, Bosa has a chance to be one too.
“Yeah, I mean some of the plays he’s made are absolutely incredible,” LaFleur said. “He’s consistently in the backfield disrupting both in the run and the pass game, and the motor on him is incredible. And you know, it doesn’t shock me because his brother is the same way. Anytime you get a player as talented as he is with a motor, that is a nightmare for an offense.
“I think that’s why guys like that become future Hall of Famers.”
In his first season, Bosa is ranked as the sixth best edge rusher in the NFL this season. The player one spot ahead of him? His brother Joey.
