Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh Press Conference

Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh

Press Conference – November 13, 2025

San Francisco 49ers

I want to make a comparison between Arizona Cardinals TE Trey McBride and TE George Kittle. Or should there be no comparison?

“Of course. No comparison. But no. It’s a good compliment to him, though. He’s a hell of a football player. Can block, run, he’s the complete package. Very similar to George in that regard. He’s made a name for himself pretty quick and he’s definitely a player that we’ve got to pay attention to.”

Is he the most dangerous once the ball gets in his hands, kind of like George?

“He can run routes like a receiver. He blocks like a tight end. After the catch, he’s violent and he’s hard to bring down. Like I said, he’s the total package. He’s gotten better and better every year he’s been in the League and he is a fun player to watch.”

Which running back do you think you’re going to get this week and how do they look different from one another?

“I’m not sure. But both of them, I have experience with [Arizona Cardinals RB] Michael [Carter]. It’s a good group of backs, all of them. They’ve all got different skill sets. They’re unique in that regard and they’re all very talented. But, whichever one comes along is who we’re going to have to defend. I can give you a long dissertation on each one, but we’ll save that one for another day.”

How has their offense changed with Arizona Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett versus what you’ve seen under Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray? Is it more under center stuff? What other things have you seen there?

“Obviously, the zone read’s not there, even though Jacoby is capable of keeping it and taking it. As I stand here, they’re probably going to run one just to run one maybe. Jacoby’s still capable of doing everything that Kyler does. But, for the most part it’s very close to the same.”

The Rams had some success with three tight end formations. It’s a copycat lead. You’re going to see it again maybe this week from the Cardinals. What’s difficult about matching up with that personnel grouping from alignment, assignment, technique perspective?

“If you have three tight ends who can, like in the Rams case, they’ve got three guys who are capable of both being effective in the run game and pass game, it becomes a personnel thing. You try to go small, they get big, you try to go big, they get small where they create 11-personnel formations. And you’re just able to create more mismatches from a personnel standpoint. I feel like the Rams, as they’ve gone throughout the year, 13-personnel hadn’t been something they’ve done and over the last three weeks it’s just getting bigger and bigger for them. I thought they did a really nice job with it.”

What has the response been like this week from the defense in terms of practice and everything based on what happened against the Rams? I’m sure it was a tough film to watch on Monday.

“Like I said, it’s a young group and they’re eager to learn. They want to fix mistakes, but I thought practice today was outstanding. They’re in a good spot. Obviously, everyone has a bad taste in their mouth. Anytime you get 40 dropped on you, it’s not fun. But, we’ve got a good group of guys. They’ve played really good football before and we’ve had good games as a group, we’ve had bad games as a group and we’ve just got to find that consistency as we continue to go through the year.”

This is sort of a RB Christian McCaffrey question, but you look around League and there are a lot of running backs now who are three-down backs who do so much in the pass game. What is that challenge as a defensive coordinator trying to prepare? Because I assume you can throw as many resources at stopping the run, but that guy could still find a way to beat you. What is that like?

“It is a challenge, especially if there are complements around him. A guy like Christian who is an unbelievable running back, but then he’s also a really good receiver. So, who do you dedicate to him? You know? So, a lot of times you’re having to dedicate a linebacker to him. I’ve said it a long time ago that it’s starting to catch up a little bit, but I felt like the evolution of the running back far outpaced the evolution of the linebacker. Where a lot of linebackers were up until I feel like 2019 and the twenties there, the linebackers were still big, old school run thumpers and here you have guys like Christian McCaffrey running around just creating mismatches. So now you’ve got to get a linebacker that’s capable, but then how are you going to defend the run? So, there’s balance. They create all kinds of problems and they’re showing up more and more throughout the League.”

Are you seeing those guys running more routes than just the old Texas and option routes? Things like that?

“Oh, yeah. You look at Christian, he’s got the full repertoire of routes. Study [Detroit Lions RB] Jahmyr Gibbs, same thing. You know, the really special ones, they can run them all.”

On the touchdown to Los Angeles Rams WR Davante Adams last week, what was supposed to happen from your perspective, defensively?

“Caught us in goal line defense. I won’t get into too specifics with the schematic part of it, but it’s kind of shitty.”

How are DL Clelin Ferrell and DL Keion White acclimating to defensive line coach Kris Kocurek and what you guys want?

“I think he’s doing a nice job. He definitely has something to him. Really excited about him and getting his feet underneath him in our system. We’re asking him to do things that we feel like he can do, and I think he agrees with some of the things we’re asking. But, I think it’s just a matter of him getting used to our calls, our words, our techniques, playing with your line games with your teammates and working off one another. So, there’s time on task there, but I think he’s doing a really nice job.”

It’s always a challenge for the DBs when there’s not a lot of rush. How do you keep these guys from fracturing and pointing the finger? Just how do you keep them together through the pressure kind of mounting a little bit?

“I don’t think that’ll be an issue. You know, the challenge is always for the D-Line to get them in a hitch and it’s always the job of the backend to see if you can get an extra hitch from the quarterback. So, we’re rush and coverage. We play off one another, we feed off one another, and I’d be shocked if that ever happened here.”

QB Brock Purdy is closer and closer to a return now. But, in previous weeks, were there times when he would help out the defense as a scout QB? If so, what was it like having him out there?

“It was fun having him out there. It’s amazing, all these really good quarterbacks like [QB] Mac [Jones] now, even Brock, they’re no-look passing and they’re trying some stuff, which is what you’re supposed to do as a scout-team quarterback. I’m like, ‘can you guys chill on that? Because we have a young group (laughter).’ But, it’s great when you have those guys. I mean, even [QB] Adrian [Martinez] does a really nice job back there from a mobility standpoint. But, these quarterbacks, especially when they’re veteran-like, they’re working on their craft and they can get guys to run routes exactly the way we need them run. So, they’re very beneficial.”

As far as the pass rush goes, given the injuries you’ve suffered so far this year, do you look at that as something you’re going to have to scheme up for the most part this year?

“I think Kocurek does a really nice job working from a schematics standpoint. We always have our pressure system and try to find a way to create free runners and all that and trying to create edges where we’re leveraged the proper way. But, at the end of the day, you’ve got to win your one-on-one. I do think we have guys that are capable. I think [DL Bryce] Huff is still one of the better ones in football. I think [DL] Sam’s [Okuayinonu] proven to be pretty damn good. I think [DL] Alfred [Collins] getting back in there is going to help. [DL] Kalia [Davis] finally got that cast off of him, so he can be more effective. So, it’s a work in progress because there’s been a lot of moving parts and there is continuity that comes into play with that group, but I’m not too worried. The main focus is for us to get better and better and better so we’re peaking when we hit January. Especially with this young group. And like I’ve told you guys, there’s going to be ups, there’s going to be downs. Last week was down obviously, but hopefully we can get back on the horse.”

LB Tatum Bethune told us yesterday that LB Fred Warner’s giving them a little space to kind of learn on their own instead of being in there saying, “okay, this is what you guys need to do.” Where have you seen that learning curve on correcting their mistakes?

“There’s so much learning. And it’s fun. I was talking to the staff about it and I was recalling, Wednesday with a young group is a little rougher than, because it’s a new game plan, right? And I told Tatum yesterday, I said, ‘If Fred tells you that his Wednesdays were awesome his first couple years he’s lying,’ (Laughter). There is a learning curve there. But, you trust because of how hard they work and how important it is to them. You trust that by Sunday they’ll hit the ground running. That’s on me too. Just finding that balance of what they are and we’re all learning one another. I’m actually having a ton of fun doing it. There are frustrating moments for sure, but there’s a lot of fun because coaches are learning players, players learning coaches, and we’re all learning this thing together. Like I said, we’re going to get better every single week. I’m confident in that. The main goal is to continue getting better so that way, like I said, in January we’re hitting the ground running and let’s see if we can do something pretty cool.”