The San Francisco 49ers have yet to hire a defensive coordinator but, if recent reports are correct, they are zeroing in a man whose involvement in the 2024 season finally came to an end on Sunday.

Robert Saleh was fired by the New York Jets in October, but since his dismissal has worked with the Green Bay Packers as an offensive consultant.

The Packers were hoping to go on a deep playoff run as the seven seed in the NFC, but their playoff campaign was swiftly curtailed in the Wild Card Round as Green Bay lost 22-10 to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Saleh was in attendance for the game, but his focus can now turn back to his next move in the coaching world.

He is set to interview for head coaching positions with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders next week, however, ESPN's Dan Graziano reported he is the frontrunner to return to his old job as San Francisco's defensive coordinator.

The 49ers confirmed earlier this week that they had completed an interview with Saleh, whose success in his first spell in the role was integral to San Francisco's surge to Super Bowl 54 in the 2019 season.

Now the Packers' quest for Super Bowl glory has come to a close, Saleh will hope to convince the Jags or Raiders he can put them on the path towards a title. If he can't successfully make that case, then he could well land on his feet in an excellent spot to contend for a Super Bowl with the Niners, provided he can turn around a defense that faded badly in 2024.

49ers make move that would conflict greatly with recent comments about Brock Purdy in latest 2025 mock draft

It wouldn’t make a great deal of sense.