49ers make significant addition to their defensive coaching staff as Robert Saleh reunites with former Seahawks coordinator
There's already been one major reunion for the San Francisco 49ers this offseason after they succeeded in bringing back Robert Saleh for a second spell as defensive coordinator. Now Saleh is getting to reunite with an old friend by adding Gus Bradley to his staff on the defensive side of the ball. NFL Network's Tom […]
There's already been one major reunion for the San Francisco 49ers this offseason after they succeeded in bringing back Robert Saleh for a second spell as defensive coordinator. Now Saleh is getting to reunite with an old friend by adding Gus Bradley to his staff on the defensive side of the ball.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that Bradley is being hired to the San Francisco staff, though he did not confirm the capacity in which he will serve.
The former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach is a vastly experienced defensive coach, with Bradley most recently serving as the defensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts for the last three seasons.
Defensive assistant Gus Bradley is joining 49ers coaching staff, source confirms. TomPelissero was on it first.
— Matt Maiocco (@mattmaiocco.bsky.social) 7 February 2025 at 17:11
He has also served as the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders, though he is best known for his time as the coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks' defense during the first half of the 'Legion of Boom era' from 2009 to 2012.
The Seattle Cover 3 defense in which he majors forms the foundation of the current 49er defense, with San Francisco running that scheme — albeit with significant variations over the years — since Kyle Shanahan's arrival as head coach in 2017.
Saleh worked under Bradley during his time in Seattle and was Bradley's linebackers coach for the Jaguars from 2014 to 2016. Saleh was hired for his first spell as 49ers defensive coordinator thereafter.
Bradley seems most likely to come in and take the assistant head coach/defense role vacated by former Chargers head coach Brandon Staley.
Whereas Staley's focus was more on the defensive backs, Bradley may well work more closely with the linebackers, having worked as a linebackers coach prior to being hired as Seattle's DC.
His presence on the coaching staff also gives the 49ers a potential successor to Saleh if he again departs for a head coaching job. Saleh was set to receive a second interview from the Jaguars before they hired Liam Coen as the replacement for Doug Pederson.
Bradley's Colts defense finished the 2024 campaign 15th by DVOA, which measures per-play value. Indianapolis was 20th by the same metric in 2023 and 17th in 2022.
