Making ready to rent a fourth defensive coordinator in 4 years, the 49ers have a well-known title on the radar. As might be anticipated based mostly on his success in San Francisco (and the Jets’ freefall after his early-season firing), Robert Saleh is a reputation to watch on this search.
Although the Jaguars are set to meet with Saleh on Jan. 14 to discuss their head coaching position, veteran NFL insider Josina Anderson reports that the previous 49ers DC can count on to obtain a suggestion to return to that job quickly.
Saleh was the 49ers’ DC from 2017-20 and spent the previous three-plus seasons heading up the Jets’ protection — one which climbed into the highest 5 within the NFL in 2022 and ’23. The Jets dismissed him from his submit after 5 video games. After beginning 2-3, Gang Inexperienced completed the season 5-12. Whereas the 49ers tried to land Jeff Ulbrich for his or her DC submit final 12 months, his current boss seems to be the precedence for the NFC West franchise.
The 49ers aren’t bringing Nick Sorensen again as DC, however they’re additionally not sure to be eradicating their 2024 defensive play-caller from their employees. A particular groups coordinator place has opened up, and Sorensen has expertise in that space. As for the higher-profile job, the group has been linked to Saleh, Ulbrich and Gus Bradley in the early stages of this search. The 49ers should interview one exterior minority candidate to fulfill the Rooney Rule; a Saleh assembly would qualify.
Cementing himself as a head teaching candidate through the 2021 cycle, Saleh didn’t fare nicely because the Jets’ HC. The group’s Zach Wilson funding had a lot to do with that, and the Jets shortly launched a turnaround on protection. After rating final in Saleh’s 2021 debut season, the Jets rocketed to fourth in factors and yards allowed in 2022. In 2023, New York’s protection completed third in yardage allowed and twelfth in factors. To be honest to Ulbrich, the unit once more ranked third in whole protection this season; it ranked twentieth in scoring.
Saleh, 45, was on the controls when the 49ers accomplished a exceptional ascent in 2019. After a 4-12 2018 season that netted the group Nick Bosa at No. 2 general, San Francisco earned the NFC’s No. 1 seed and stampeded by way of the NFC playoffs earlier than a Tremendous Bowl LIV loss to the Chiefs. Saleh’s unit ranked fourth in scoring protection that 12 months. Regardless of the 49ers shedding Bosa early throughout an injury-plagued 2020 season — one which reminded of the group’s 2024 slate — Saleh’s troops remained a top-five whole protection.
It is going to be attention-grabbing to see how briskly the 49ers transfer on this, with Saleh presumably all in favour of listening to the Jaguars out a couple of return to a prime job. Jacksonville is the only team thus far to request an HC interview with the lately fired Jets coach/present Packers marketing consultant, so it’s potential San Francisco won’t want to attend too lengthy for a solution.
