The Arizona Cardinals already have an ideal head coach in mind after firing Jonathan Gannon. One day after relieving Gannon of his duties, the team has a trio of candidates in mind: Robert Saleh, Vance Joseph, and Anthony Weaver.
Although the 49ers are preparing for a Wild Card matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Cardinals reached out to request an interview from Saleh, NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reported. It did not take them long to also inquire about Joseph and Weaver, per Schultz.
The Cardinals' focus on defensive coordinators is notable, considering that was also the route they took with Gannon. Arizona has finished in the bottom five in scoring defense in three of its last four seasons, dating back to former head coach Kliff Kingsbury's tenure.
Among the three, Saleh is the most prominent in the head coaching carousel. The 46-year-old was head coach of the New York Jets from 2021 to 2024, when he was shockingly fired midseason, and has remained in the conversation since. He interviewed for vacant head coaching positions in the 2025 offseason and has only bolstered his case with another strong season with the 49ers.
Saleh, whose first stint as the 49ers' defensive coordinator was from 2017 to 2020 before being hired by the Jets, led a defense that struggled with injuries in 2025. However, the unit battled through injuries to Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Dee Winters, and Mykel Williams to still finish in the top half of the league.
Saleh is not expected to entertain his head coaching options until after the 49ers' season concludes. After that, he will receive multiple other requests from teams other than just the Cardinals.
Cardinals show interest in Vance Joseph, Anthony Weaver
Joseph is also a former head coach, though his two-year tenure with the Denver Broncos was almost a complete disaster. However, he has rebuilt his case by returning to the Broncos as defensive coordinator to lead arguably the best defensive unit in the league.
Still just 53, teams now view Joseph in a more positive light after gaining more experience. He has also received interest from the New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, and Las Vegas Raiders.
Weaver is the only one of the three who has no previous head coaching experience. He burst onto the scene by leading the Dolphins' defense to a top-10 finish in 2024, his first year as defensive coordinator, but the unit plummeted to the bottom of the league in 2025.
