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.

The San Francisco 49ers might have pulled off the coup of this year’s coaching cycle, bringing back Robert Saleh to coordinate their defense.

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.

There’s an interesting wrinkle to the San Francisco 49ers’ re-acquisition of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. While they’re gaining an experienced defensive coordinator with a strong track record, they may also gain another opportunity to secure a pair of third-round draft picks if he’s hired to be another team’s head coach.

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.

Robert Saleh wasted little time after being fired from the New York Jets last fall amid a poor showing throughout the season. He quickly began working with the Green Bay Packers' defense following his dismissal,