First major domino of head coach hiring cycle falls and puts 49ers' preferred defensive coordinator hire in significant jeopardy
It's been clear for a while now who the San Francisco 49ers would prefer to be their defensive coordinator in 2025. But the first major domino to fall during this year's head coach hiring cycle has increased the chances of the 49ers not getting their man. Though the New England Patriots were the first to […]
It's been clear for a while now who the San Francisco 49ers would prefer to be their defensive coordinator in 2025.
But the first major domino to fall during this year's head coach hiring cycle has increased the chances of the 49ers not getting their man.
Though the New England Patriots were the first to hire a new head man this offseason, appointing Mike Vrabel, that move was never going to have much of an impact on the rest of the moves around the league.
But the Chicago Bears coming to an agreement with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is a move that will have an influence on teams looking for head coaches and coordinators, including the Niners.
San Francisco's former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is viewed as the frontrunner to return to that role, and is one of only two candidates the 49ers have officially announced as having interviewed.
On Monday, The Athletic's Mike Silver posted on X (formerly Twitter) that if Saleh does not get a head coaching job, then he will be back in the position he occupied from 2017 to 2020.
The problem is that Johnson going to Chicago improves the odds of Saleh landing back with another former team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, as their head coach.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported the Jags were interested in Johnson but that "the setup wasn't in line with what he was looking for in his first head coaching job", which could be a not so subtle hint to an unwillingness to work with Jacksonville GM Trent Baalke.
Johnson and Saleh were previously described as the two favorites for the Jacksonville job by Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer. With Johnson out of the picture, the Jags are moving on to other candidates, with Saleh, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen and Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham set to have second interviews.
It would probably make more sense for the Jags to go with an offensive guy to pair with Trevor Lawrence but, with Saleh firmly in the mix, the 49ers' apparent plan to hire him can definitely be considered in jeopardy.
The 49ers' only other confirmed interview was with Detroit Lions defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach DeShea Townsend, while Kyle Shanahan previously said Brandon Staley would be considered after serving as assistant head coach/defense in 2024.
But with no clear backup plan, it appears the 49ers have put all their eggs in the basket of a coach in Saleh who also interviewed for head coaching roles with the Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys. It may all work out but, right now, they remain at the mercy of the decisions of those two teams and Jacksonville, and the chances of their approach backfiring just got greater.
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They tick a lot of boxes for San Francisco.
