Despite the long list of injury woes, the San Francisco 49ers are playing as one of the top teams in the league. The franchise owns a 5-2 record heading into Week 8, as the team aims to remain in the mix of the NFC West rankings. With San Francisco experiencing some success, it appears the players are loving what defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is bringing to the table.
Players on the defensive side of the ball praised Saleh, who is 46 years old, for his leadership and coaching skills as the defensive coordinator, according to Noah Furtado of The San Francisco Chronicle. So much so that players are giving him head coaching endorsements midway through the season.
“‘He has that energy and aura of a head coach,'” said defensive tackle Jordan Elliott of Robert Saleh.”
“‘The way he attacks meetings, the way he talks, he deserves a head coach job,” Sam Okuayinonu said. ‘But right now he's my defense coordinator.'”
Robert Saleh has previous head coaching experience, as he served that role with the New York Jets for four seasons before being fired early in the 2024-25 campaign after beginning that year with a 2-3 record. Saleh reprised his role as the 49ers' defensive coordinator in the 2025 offseason.
It's unclear what his future holds, but the strong endorsements he is receiving could suggest that head coach-needy teams could at least give him an interview. But only time will tell how things play out. Until then, Robert Saleh and the 49ers will focus on their Week 8 matchup against the Houston Texans.
