The biggest concern surrounding the San Francisco 49ers' reunion with Robert Saleh is the possibility of him becoming the team's third consecutive one-and-done defensive coordinator.

Saleh, who was fired in October as the New York Jets head coach five games into his fourth season, generated interest on the head-coaching front and was seen as one of the frontrunners for the Jacksonville Jaguars job. He also interviewed with the Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys.

Robert Saleh cannot personally create turnovers, rush the passer or stop the run. His return as the 49ers’ D-coordinator is no guarantee of success.

A former New York Jets coordinator who spent almost a decade with the franchise is moving on to the San Francisco 49ers.

Later on Thursday, then-Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen had a change of heart, the Jacksonville Jaguars quickly moved to hire him as head coach and Saleh, who told Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch that he’d return to the 49ers if he didn’t get a head-coaching job, stayed true to his promise.

With Robert Saleh back as the defensive coordinator, he could aid the 49ers in recruiting free agents from the Jets. 23 players on the Jets are set to become fr

The San Francisco 49ers have long established their strong defensive identity, and with Robert Saleh back at the helm

The San Francisco 49ers hired Robert Saleh for a second stint as defensive coordinator on Friday night after a failed tenure as head coach of the New York Jets.

The San Francisco 49ers' prospects on defense for the 2025 season already seem a fair bit brighter following the return of Robert Saleh of coordinator, but it will take several reinforcements on the personnel side for this group to return to the ranks of the best in the NFL next season.