The San Francisco 49ers‘ defense has been ravaged by injuries, most notably to Fred Warner and Nick Bosa. Nonetheless, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is working with what he has available and putting out a respectable group that has the Niners in a playoff spot heading into Week 15.
Saleh’s group might not have the big-name players that many are used to seeing on the 49ers’ defense, but they are getting the job done. The Niners’ defense is in the top 10 in points allowed (269) despite having middle-of-the-pack or below-average stats, such as only 16 team sacks, the worst in the NFL, per Pro Football Reference.
As a result, the 49ers coach could be a potential candidate for a head coaching job in the offseason. A Las Vegas Raiders insider floated Saleh’s name as a possible candidate should they move on from Pete Carroll.
On the December 11 edition of the “Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast,“ Hondo Carpenter, who covers the Silver and Black for On SI, shared the names that he’s hearing could be on the front office’s radar.
“Saleh is the name I’m hearing,“ Carpenter said. “That move would let the Raiders pick their own offensive coach again. Robert Saleh is a strong defensive mind, and they’d be ready to pay him the way they once did with Chip [Kelly].
“Another name is the Giants‘ Mike Kafka. I’ve heard some talk about him. The Colts‘ Jim Bob Cooter has also come up. From the Bills, Joe Brady is in the mix. The Ravens‘ Todd Monken is very well respected. The Chiefs‘ Matt Nagy has been mentioned, though that one feels unlikely, but his name has still surfaced. Klint Kubiak is another. And there’s also [the Los Angeles Rams ‘] Mike LaFleur.”
Would Robert Saleh Want to Leave the 49ers for the Raiders?
Losing Saleh wouldn’t be ideal for the 49ers, since not all coaches can overcome what the team has lost on defense and integrate young players. As a result, it doesn’t arrive as a surprise that a team like the Raiders would want to grab someone like Saleh.
Moreover, the San Francisco coach could be willing to jump at another head-coaching opportunity and rewrite his history after his stint with the New York Jets ended poorly. Still, the question is whether Saleh wants to go to another dysfunctional situation, as the Raiders have been no better than the Jets in that regard.
Should Robert Saleh Stick With the 49ers?
There are lessons that Saleh might have learned from what went wrong with the Jets. One of them might not leave the Niners for a head coaching position that won’t put him in a place to succeed. In New York, Saleh didn’t have that No. 1 quarterback, and so it was going to be a struggle when there was no true leader under center.
If there’s no quarterback, which the Raiders don’t have at the moment, the 49ers coach might be better off staying in the Bay Area on a competitive team until an opportunity arises where he truly believes he can flourish as a head coach.
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