Robert Saleh's ‘commanding presence' is what 49ers needed, Nick Bosa says

San Francisco Chronicle​

3 days ago

Nick Bosa foreshadowed the firings of the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator in each of the past two seasons.
That's not to say the All-Pro pass rusher has a say in coaching-staff decisions. But Bosa is blunt and his end-of-year assessments have offered a window into how the players felt about the men running the 49ers' defense.
A day before Steve Wilks was fired after the 2023 season, Bosa was asked for his opinion of the first-year coordinator who was a longtime secondary coach. Bosa hailed Wilks' work with defensive backs. And he stopped there.
'I think he does a great job with the back end,' Bosa said. 'Obviously, we had some issues this year throughout the year.'
A year later, Bosa also declined to offer a ringing endorsement when asked about the performance of Wilks' replacement, Nick Sorensen, after the 2024 season. Bosa offered that Sorensen was a 'good coach' but he felt 'embarrassment' about the 'product that we kept putting out.'
Wilks didn't last, in part, because he didn't have a background in the 49ers' 4-3 scheme before he was hired. And Sorensen was a rookie coordinator whose inexperience was cited by head coach Kyle Shanahan as a reason for why he was fired.
That background explains why Bosa is enthused that the 49ers were able to replace Sorensen with Robert Saleh, their coordinator from 2017-20. Bosa said he didn't fully appreciate Saleh's acumen when he was a rookie in 2019. But he now understands how Saleh's deep knowledge of their scheme has been an element that's been lacking in recent seasons.
'His commanding presence in defensive meetings,' Bosa said, 'is what we needed.'
Unlike his predecessors, Saleh is an authority on the 49ers' defense. He's coached the scheme since he learned it 14 years ago with the Seahawks under head coach Pete Carroll, considered the godfather of the system, and his resume is why there's optimism the 49ers can overcome their offseason attrition to restore their dominance.
It's a big ask for Saleh to accomplish that in 2025. The 49ers parted with six defensive starters in March and safety Malik Mustapha, who finished last season as a first-stringer, will miss the start of the regular season due to an ACL injury.
Saleh was asked this week about fans' faith in his ability to overcome obvious challenges and if it comes with undue pressure.
'It's appreciated,' he said. 'And the coaching profession is constant pressure.'
Saleh won't be alone in feeling stressed: The 49ers will be asking kids to contribute.
The offseason exodus has left the defense with Bosa, All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner, big-money cornerback Deommodore Lenoir and a host of question marks. The 49ers used their first five draft picks on defensive players and added safety Marques Sigle in the fifth round. Saleh said it was 'realistic' that their six rookie draft picks could become first-year starters.
'That's awesome if they earn it,' Saleh said. 'And it's going to be exciting just all the way around. Anytime you have that much turnover and that much change, there's going to be a process getting to know one another. And just understanding the system and how you play together at a high level.'
The defense performed at a lofty level before falling apart last season. After ranking among the NFL's top 10 in points allowed in four of the previous five seasons, they finished 29th in 2024. They were also 18th in run defense, their lowest ranking since 2017, 24th in third-down defense, tied for 26th in takeaways and 31st in red-zone touchdown percentage.
Enter Saleh, whose defenses ranked among the NFL's top five in yards allowed in his final two seasons as the 49ers coordinator and his last two full seasons as the Jets head coach (2022-23). Last year, the Jets ranked fifth in points allowed per game (17) when Saleh was fired after five games. New York finished the season allowing 23.8 points per game, ranking 20th in the league.
It could be difficult for Saleh to replicate those numbers this season given the 49ers' turnover. Still, he figures to receive an endorsement from Bosa, who couldn't do the same for his predecessors.
'I feel like I appreciate him more now, having him back,' Bosa said. 'When I was a rookie, I didn't know what I had with him as a defensive coordinator.'