The Robert Saleh-return to the San Francisco 49ers may only last one year.
The Niners defensive coordinator is likely to attract more attention as a head coach this offseason, according to NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
Saleh, of course, is in his second stint as Niners DC. He spent four years (2017-20) leading San Francisco’s defense and helped it qualify for Super Bowl LIV before taking over as head coach of the New York Jets.
Saleh returned to the bay after he was fired by the Jets midseason in 2024. The Niners rank 14th in points-against per game (22.8) and are 12th in rushing-yards-against per game (103.8), which is a big reason why they are 7-4 and in contention for both the NFC West title and an NFC wild-card berth.
Tennessee Titans, New York Giants May Consider Robert Saleh For Head-Coaching Vacancies
Saleh has coaching experience in New York/New Jersey, which would put him in a good position to coach the New York Giants. They, of course, fired head coach Brian Daboll on Nov. 10.
But the Tennessee Titans also are in the market for a coach, since they fired Brian Callahan on Oct. 13. Each team could pair Saleh, an experienced head coach, with a smart offensive coordinator to help rookie quarterbacks Jaxson Dart or Cam Ward.
“I think Saleh is at least going to elicit interest and may well land a job,” Breer wrote in his weekly mailbag on SI.com. “I could see the Titans or the Giants taking a long look at him, paired potentially with a Mike McDaniel (if he doesnât make it in Miami) or Mike LaFleur to run the offense.”
Saleh could seem like an uninspired retread hire, especially amongst Giants fans who saw him go 20-36 as Jets coach. But Breer also spelled out why it could work this time around.
“Heâll interview well; heâs very close with a lot of the Shanahan-McVay tree offensive coaches (so finding a good OC wonât be a chore),” Breer wrote. “Heâll be able to energize a franchise thatâs fallen on hard times.”
The Niners Could Easily Replace Robert Saleh
The 49ers reached the NFL’s final four in three straight years, also qualifying for Super Bowl LVIII with DeMeco Ryans and Steve Wilks running the defense.
But if Saleh leaves, the Niners could end up with five DCs in five years, which could upset continuity. Still, Breer named some potential replacements if Saleh got a head-coaching gig, and they would be more than capable of managing the Niners defense.
“If Salehâs out, I know current Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich would be very high on Shanahanâs list,” Beer wrote. “Whether he actually becomes available is another question.
“He likely wonât. So my guess is Gus Bradley, whoâs currently in-house in San Francisco, would probably be the guy. Shanahan has grown to really like him, and heâd be able to take the baton pretty easily from Saleh, whom he mentored years ago.”
Bradley, like Saleh, has been a head coach and is a veteran NFL defensive coordinator. The Niners could sure do worse than him.
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