Jan. 14, 2026, 3:45 p.m. PT
The San Francisco 49ers may find themselves in a familiar place next offseason looking for a new defensive coordinator.
Robert Saleh is set to hold interviews with the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans on Sunday after the 49ers’ divisional playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
Saleh was always a likely head coaching candidate after being ousted as the New York Jets head coach midway through the 2024 season. He didn’t have a ton of success in New York, but it’s easy to point to factors outside of his control as the reason for his team’s inability to string together wins.
Instead, teams are more likely looking at what he’s done in San Francisco this year with a patchwork defense devoid of superstars for much of the year. Saleh’s defense did enough to help the club win 12 games, punch a playoff ticket, and then upset the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild card round at Lincoln Financial Field.
There were some teams sniffing around on Saleh as a head coaching option last year. He’s erased any doubts about his viability as a candidate this year, and with nine openings it seems like he’s destined to land one of the top jobs.
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Baltimore is arguably the top available job with a talented roster led by two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. Tennessee also has its upside with a handful of talented players, including rookie quarterback Cam Ward who played well against Saleh’s group in Week 15 at Levi’s Stadium.
Perhaps Saleh doesn’t wind up taking one of the available coaching gigs, but it sure sounds like there’ll be a desirable job for him which would mean the 49ers hiring a fifth defensive coordinator in five years this offseason.
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