Robert Saleh is going home. According to the Athletic's Mike Silver, the San Francisco 49ers are expected to name the former New York Jets head coach their defensive coordinator "soon."
I expect the 49ers to rehire Robert Saleh as their defensive coordinator soon
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) January 24, 2025
Saleh first rose to prominence in the NFL as the 49ers defensive coordinator from 2017 to 2020. His defenses finished in the top five for yards allowed twice over that span, and the 49ers even made a Super Bowl following the 2019 season.
That success allowed Saleh to land the head coaching job in New York in 2021, but he was eventually fired five games into the 2024 season. He amassed a 20-36 record due largely to the persistent struggles of his offense. Saleh's Jets never averaged more than 19.9 points per game in any of his four seasons at the helm.Saleh is a logical hire for a 49ers team that was clearly unhappy with the performance of its defense in 2024. The 49ers finished 29th in points allowed last year, and they announced following the season that defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen would not return. Saleh should provide some much-needed continuity for a defense that has featured three different DCs in his four years away from the team.
Despite missing the playoffs, the 49ers had a lot going for them in 2024: They finished fourth in yards gained and eighth in yards allowed. Unfortunately, they experienced a heinous run of injury luck, with stars Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, and Trent Williams all missing significant time, and sloppy play meant they finished with a -10 turnover differential. If the offense can tighten up, and Saleh can improve the defense even slightly, the 49ers should be back in the postseason hunt in 2025.
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