There has been radio silence regarding new interviews for the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator position, and it’s become very clear why.

San Francisco has officially announced two interviewees for the role, former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and Detroit Lions defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach DeShea Townsend.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said in an end-of-season press conference that Brandon Staley would also be given an opportunity to put his name forward, having served as San Francisco’s assistant head coach/defense last year. But Staley hasn’t been announced as an officially interviewee and, despite a host of veteran coordinators being on the market for new jobs, the 49ers seemingly haven’t expanded their search any further.

The reason is simple — the 49ers have their heart set on a reunion with Saleh, the first defensive coordinator of Shanahan’s time with the team, and are prepared to pay a hefty price to make it happen.

Speaking on an episode of the ‘49ers +/-‘ podcast with Tim Kawakami, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows said of the defensive coordinator search: "It’s Robert Saleh or bust, really. Because they haven’t done much work with anybody else to this point. I’ve heard that they already told Saleh 'we will make you the highest paid defensive coordinator in all the land if you sign with us'. So now it’s just a matter of waiting for Saleh."

The 49ers wanting to reunite with Saleh, a member of the staff that helped San Francisco to Super Bowl 54 in the 2019 season and a coach who kept the defense in the top five in 2020 despite a plethora of injuries before being hired as the head coach of the New York Jets, is understandable.

What is not understandable is the decision to throw all their eggs in that basket.

Saleh has drawn considerable interest on the head coaching market, interviewing with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders. He also has another head coach interview scheduled with the Dallas Cowboys.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer considers Saleh one of the frontrunners for the Jags job, making the 49ers’ plan to wait for him an extremely risky one, especially as they don’t seem to have a Plan B.

It is not yet known whether Townsend interviewed well enough to be a serious option, but Barrows’ comments appear to suggest he will not be in the 49ers’ thinking.

Instead, the Niners appear to be taking a short-sighted approach, hoping that Saleh does not land the job elsewhere, with Staley the potential safety net if he does.

It is an uninspiring way to conduct a search for a key coaching position, especially following a season in which the 49er defense appeared to be crying out for some innovation from outside the scheme they have traditionally run. 

And it is a way of doing things that has significant potential to backfire if Saleh does get a head coaching job, as that would leave the 49ers behind the 8-ball in terms of finding an alternative or simply left to settle for Staley.

Staley is a respected defensive mind and coordinated the best defense in the league in his time with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020. However, his would be an appointment few would greet with excitement following his role in the 49ers’ defensive decline this year.

There is, of course, a decent chance everything works out for the 49ers and they get their man. Still, it is a dangerous game the Niners are playing, and they could be left with egg on their face if the outcome isn’t in their favor.

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