"With a quarterback to pay, more than a dozen pending free agents and an aging nucleus, the San Francisco 49ers entered the 2025 offseason with plenty of uncertainty. But there was one move they knew they wanted to make above all others: bring Robert Saleh back for a second stint as defensive coordinator. "Whether we played with a bunch of young guys, old guys, I wanted Robert Saleh on our staff," general manager John Lynch said."
"That pursuit didn't come sans drama. The New York Jets had fired Saleh as coach five games into the 2024 season, and he went on to spend the final weeks of the campaign as a consultant for the Green Bay Packers. But when the season was over, Saleh had no shortage of suitors for his services -- whether as a potential head coach or as a coordinator."
"On Jan. 7, the Niners fired Nick Sorensen after one season as their defensive coordinator. They immediately reached out to Saleh, who ran their defense from 2017 to 2020. During initial discussions, they made it clear they were willing to make Saleh one of the highest-paid defensive coordinators in the NFL and that they didn't want anyone else for the job."
San Francisco entered the 2025 offseason with salary and roster uncertainty, facing a quarterback to pay, more than a dozen pending free agents and an aging core. The franchise prioritized bringing Robert Saleh back as defensive coordinator and signaled willingness to make him one of the highest-paid coordinators in the league. Saleh had been fired by the New York Jets five games into the 2024 season and later worked as a consultant for the Green Bay Packers, drawing multiple head-coach and coordinator suitors. After firing Nick Sorensen on Jan. 7, the 49ers immediately contacted Saleh and awaited his decision.
Read at ESPN.com
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