Saleh commends 49ers’ defensive growth, continuity from time as DC originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Throughout the Kyle Shanahan era, the 49ers defense has had a distinct identity centered around physicality and hustle.
On Monday, New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh — who was responsible for distilling that character as the San Francisco defensive coordinator from 2017 to 2020 — will return to Levi’s Stadium to face his old team in primetime.
The 49ers defense has seen some minor changes over the past four years, including new faces (Talanoa Hufanga and Javon Hargrave, to name a couple) and some schematic differences. But the nucleus has remained across Saleh’s three defensive coordinator successors, particularly a strong front seven spearheaded by Nick Bosa and Fred Warner.
Saleh reflected on his lasting effect on San Francisco’s defensive approach and the growth he has seen from its stars on that side of the ball.
“From a style-of-play standpoint, they still get after it,” Saleh told reporters Thursday. “There’s a lot of new faces, but the style of play, the tenacity, the overall core philosophy of the defense obviously is still there.
“Those guy still play with their hair on fire.”
Saleh wouldn’t say that he takes pride in that lasting legacy he has left in the Bay Area, but he admitted it’s “cool” to see the 49ers’ continued success after his departure.
Warner got his first All-Pro nod in Saleh’s final season in San Francisco, while Bosa won Defensive Rookie of the Year the prior season in 2019. Those two stars have continued to ascend even under new play-callers, combining for five Pro Bowl and three First-Team All-Pro honors — plus Bosa’s 2022 Defensive Player of the Year award.
Though it has been from afar, Saleh has enjoyed seeing the maturity of Bosa and Warner, who were “just pups” during his tenure.
“Bosa was a rookie. Fred was a nickel that we turned into a mike linebacker,” Saleh noted. “[Dre] Greenlaw … he’s another guy that grew so much. They’ve got so much talent, and they’ve got such a great understanding of the defense.”
As a result, Saleh credits those players for helping him along in his coaching journey.
“It’s cool because we did it together,” Saleh explained. “Like I said, I’m standing here because of those guys, so [I’m] very grateful for them.”
Of course, that appreciation might dissipate a bit if the 49ers defense causes issues for Saleh’s Jets on Monday night.
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