Why a reunion between Kyle Shanahan and Robert Saleh on the 49ers is unlikely this season

Eric Williams

NFL reporter

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was surprised to see his former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh back on the job market after owner Woody Johnson unceremoniously fired him as head coach of the New York Jets – a firing that reportedly included the security guard's escort from the system included.

“I texted him, but I couldn’t talk to him,” Shanahan told reporters this week. “And yeah, I was pretty shocked.

“It puts you off, especially when they are fighting for first place in the division this week. And I think they're at the top of their game on defense and have a pretty good team and a chance to have a heck of a year. So.” That was quite surprising.

Although Saleh could be available, a return to San Francisco's coaching staff this season appears unlikely. According to a report from the San Francisco Chronicle, Saleh plans to regroup and spend some time on vacation with family as he prepares for the next coaching cycle.

Saleh also signed a guaranteed contract through the 2025 season for a reported $5 million per year, and any money he makes with San Francisco would be offset by his current contract with New York.

But it wouldn't be out of the question for Shanahan to explore a possible reunion with Saleh, who served as San Francisco's defensive coordinator from 2017 to 2020, after this year.

Like Bill Belichick during his two-decade tenure as head coach of the New England Patriots, Shanahan would welcome back someone from his coaching staff who could bring a fresh perspective to a defense that has been inconsistent and struggling so far this season. See below new defensive coordinator Nick Sorenson has a rhythm.

“You never have regrets,” Sorenson told reporters this week when asked if he second-guessed himself after a tough game. “But there are always things you want to improve. And if I'm honest, sometimes I think, 'God, I could have done that, but no, I believe in it.' You know, we can coach this better or implement it better. You also don't want to stray too far from your core beliefs.

“And that’s what I focus on more than anything else. And then it's just about how can we fundamentally get better, and that goes into coaching and the way we play and the way we train, and I think there's always going to be decisions that aren't me I think it depends on who has the pencil last. So it always depends on the print or the coverage, but you also have to be confident in your process.”

Shanahan replaced Steve Wilks after one season, shortly after his team's Super Bowl loss to Kansas City, with Sorenson, a defensive assistant who was already on San Francisco's staff. And Shanahan had unsuccessfully sought to hire Jeff Ulbrich, the Jets' defensive coordinator who has now been named interim head coach following Saleh's departure. The 49ers also have defensive guru Brandon Staley on staff as an assistant head coach/defensive back. Staley watches games from the dugout on game days.

So Saleh returning to San Francisco in some capacity, either as an assistant coach or consultant, could help smooth things out by having one of the architects of the defense in the building as San Francisco pursues a Super Bowl.

In the team's 2-3 start, San Francisco is allowing 21.2 points per game, which ranks 12th in the league. The 49ers rank 22nd in third-down defense (43.3%). The 49ers suffered late-game blowouts twice against NFC West opponents this season, namely losses to the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams.

(Related: 7 candidates to replace Robert Saleh with Jets)

San Francisco is currently 0-2 in the division and must travel to the Pacific Northwest to face the Seattle Seahawks in a short week.

“It's not a must-win because technically if it's a must-win, the season is over,” San Francisco edge rusher Nick Bosa told reporters this week. “But it definitely feels that way, so we treat it that way.”

The bottom line is that Sorensen is five games into his tenure and is dealing with the expected growing pains of a defensive player playing for the first time. Like DeMeco Ryans and Saleh before him, Shanahan will have to show patience and grace while Sorensen goes through a learning curve, even if the 49ers are a team expected to contend for a Super Bowl.

“Nick is doing a really good job,” Shanahan said. “I was impressed with him from the start. Every week I like how he handles the defensive personnel. I like how they organize training and I liked his game plans and I also liked how he calls it. So “I’ve been very happy with Nick so far.”

Eric D. Williams has covered and covered the NFL for more than a decade Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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