Former Players Endorse Robert Saleh's 49ers Return

Getty

Robert Saleh of the San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers were known as a defensively dominant team early in the Kyle Shanahan years. However, over the past couple of seasons, the team has taken a step back under coordinators Steve Wilks and Nick Sorensen. Luckily, the Niners were able to bring back defensive guru Robert Saleh. Already, former players are speaking about how great a move this will be for San Francisco.

Player Comments on Robert Saleh

Former 49ers defensive lineman Arik Armstead talked about the importance of Saleh’s leadership and mindset on First Things First recently.

“I think he has a tremendous impact. I love Saleh…I look back at the 2020 season. We had a whole bunch of injuries, and with Saleh’s leadership, even though it seemed like our whole team was hurt, we still finished with a top 5 defense. That was the standard that he set. It didn’t matter who was out there; the standard was set that we’re the best defense in the league, and we still finished top 5 in defense regardless of who was out there. So, Saleh is going to bring a lot back to the Bay.”

That 2020 season saw the majority of the team’s starters miss multiple games, but the defense kept the Niners’ playoff hopes alive deep into the season. Saleh’s success with a lack of resources that year ultimately earned him the Jets’ head coaching job the next offseason.

Another defensive player with experience under Saleh, Bryce Huff, spoke about Saleh’s scheme in a positive manner.

“I already saw the blueprint. Being in New York with this scheme for three years, and seeing how they utilize each person’s body type to make them play their best, I already see how it’s about to go down this year.”

The 49ers were able to swing a trade to bring in Huff this offseason, and he is raring to line up on a Saleh-led defense. The faith in players who have worked under Saleh speaks volumes. There’s a reason the Niners feel so confident in their newly hired coordinator.

What to Expect From the 49ers Defense in 2025

In Saleh’s previous tenure, the Niners had a boatload of talent on defense. The best example was in 2019 when they boasted the best defense in football. A lot of fans are expecting the team to return to that level of dominance this year. But if we are being realistic, the squad doesn’t have talent on par with that 2019 team.

What fans should be expecting is an aggressive, but somewhat flawed unit on that side of the ball. The defense was far too passive under Sorensen last year. Robert Saleh’s mindset was and is still “All Gas No Breaks.” Realistically, it will take a couple of years to build up the defensive talent, but Saleh did a fantastic job developing young players in his previous 49ers stint. For the 2025 season, we should expect the unit to fly around, blitz, and create more turnovers. The defense may not be a lockdown unit, but that doesn’t mean they won’t get their fair share of game-altering turnovers this upcoming season. Aggressive football is back on the menu in the Bay.

Matthew Kaimer is a sports writer covering the MLB for heavy.com. He has worked for Heavy since 2023 and has over 5 years experience covering the MLB and San Diego Padres through his social media outlet “Friar Talk.” More about Matthew Kaimer