It was bound to happen. The Arizona Cardinals have requested a head coaching interview for San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, according to Albert Breer, marking his first of this interview cycle.
Saleh, who joined the 49ers this past offseason, had been the New York Jets head coach from 2021-24 until he was fired midway through the 2024 season. Still, he was seen as a commodity in the head coach market, earning an interview with the Jacksonville Jaguars last year before that job ultimately went to Liam Coen.
He also interviewed with the Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys last offseason.
Saleh had signed a deal to become one of the top-paid coordinators in the NFL with the 49ers last year after not landing a head coaching opportunity, but he’s made it known that running his own team is a big goal for him. Now, he could get that opportunity, as the Cardinals have requested an interview for him after firing head coach Jonathan Gannon.
Arizona will have a number of big decisions to make this offseason, holding the No. 3 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They’re expected to trade quarterback Kyler Murray, who missed a majority of this season, and are expected to also retain general manager Monti Ossenfort, which could play a role into which candidates are realistic for the Cardinals job.
Arizona has also requested interviews for Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. So, they might have a preference for defensive coaches like they did with Gannon.
Saleh has been dealt a tough hand with the 49ers defense this year, as the team lost stars Fred Warner and Nick Bosa to injury. Apart from that, the defensive line has been depleted, with pieces like first-round pick Mykel Williams also lost for the season. San Francisco just hasn’t had the personnel defensively.
Still, up until the last few weeks, the 49ers had managed to be a top-10 scoring defense this season, finding a way to stop teams from scoring points without being good in any defensive category. If Saleh were to spend another year as the 49ers defensive coordinator, he’d likely elevate the unit with better personnel.
We’ll see if that happens, though, as the head coaching interest has started for the 49ers defensive coordinator.
