The New York Jets fired Robert Saleh in October after a 2-3 start. He's now looking for his next squad after serving as an offensive consultant for the Green Bay Packers for the remainder of 2024 season. And it just so happens that Saleh could be reuniting with one of his former teams in 2025.
One option for the former head coach could be the San Francisco 49ers, where he served as the defensive coordinator from 2017 to 2020. The Niners completed an interview with Saleh for the DC spot on Thursday, the team announced.
Saleh also has an interview with the Jacksonville Jaguars for their head coaching vacancy, another team that he previously spent time with (from 2014 to 2016 as linebackers coach).
With the Jets, his only NFL head coaching gig, Saleh went 20-36 in three-plus seasons. He could have other head coaching options as well, but a reunion with the Niners is certainly a possibility, especially given their history.
For the second time in less than a year, the Niners moved on from their defensive coordinator -- this time dumping Nick Sorensen after failing to make the playoffs. The team is reportedly looking to keep him on the coaching staff, but in another position. Sorensen spent just one year as defensive coordinator, taking over for Steve Wilks, who was fired after the Niners fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII.
While San Francisco was a top-10 defense this season in terms of yards allowed per game (317.4), the unit ranked fourth-worst in points per game allowed (25.6). Obviously, those numbers weren't good enough for Sorensen to keep his job.
During Saleh's time in San Fran, he helped lead the team to a Super Bowl appearance, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV to conclude the 2019 season. That year, the 49ers defense allowed the fewest passing yards per game to go along with the fifth-most sacks (48) and most forced fumbles (23).
