Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh Press Conference

Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh

Press Conference – December 19, 2025

San Francisco 49ers

What’s been your evaluation of the run defense over the last few weeks and how can you kind of get it back on track?

“For sure. There has been some good, some bad. Didn’t like the way we finished last week. I take responsibility for that fourth quarter. We’re up three scores with nine minutes to go, playing more pass defense than run defense and I think they got about 57 yards on that last drive and a little over 50 yards in the run game. But, it’s definitely got to be firmer.”

How much of a challenge is it, especially this week, and now with some of the teams you have coming up?

“Every week is a challenge. Obviously all three teams if you throw Seattle in that mix, they’re very good at running the football. So, every game you go into, you’ve got to be able to stop the run. You’ve got to be able to try to make teams one dimensional, but it’s especially true this week with [Indianapolis Colts RB] Jonathan Taylor and their offensive line and the way they do things. They’re pretty darn good at running the football and we’ve got to be good.”

When you’ve got a game under control and you would prefer that they run the ball to work the clock, how much does the yardage really matter in that situation in a three-score lead?

“I gave up on yardage a long time ago. It’s about winning football games, keeping points down, doing whatever you can from a schematic standpoint and a play-calling standpoint to make sure that the other team’s not in the end zone. And if it means you give up yards then so be it.”

Last couple games, you’ve had some coverage busts where tight ends have been wide open and caught a touchdown. On those particular plays, is that the curl/flat defender’s responsibility to carry them vertical or what’s the breakdown there?

“Schematic stuff. Well, everyone should know. We’ve got to do a really good job with communication in terms of shoving the coverage and getting the corner off of it and stuff. But, it’s definitely something that we’ve got to improve on, otherwise teams are going to keep running it. We’ll be ready for it this time, [Indianapolis Colts QB] Philip [Rivers] (laughter).”

DL Jordan Elliott doesn’t get a lot of fanfare across the league. What does he mean for the defense and especially that run-stopping ability?

“I mean, he’s a big body, he’s stout. He has got good short-area quickness and good foot speed and he’s physical with his hands. When he gets off the ball and he strikes and everything’s aligned, he’s pretty dominant in there. So, obviously having him in there helps big time for the run game.”

What did you see from Rivers?

“You saw a guy who could make every single read, who’s still capable of getting the ball wherever he needs to get it to. It’s amazing. I mean, it’s five years without playing football. I know he has been throwing and he has been doing the coaching thing, but shoot, I roll out of bed and I’m sore. But, credit to him. I thought a lot of the things that he did it looked normal to me.”

How has S Marques Sigle handled going from starting the first seven, eight games to having a minimized role?

“I feel like he’s been doing a great job. I feel like he’s really taken advantage of his opportunities on special teams. I know [special teams coordinator] Brant [Boyer] loves him. Every week you feel like if Sigle’s not around, Brant’s going to have a heart attack. So, it’s a credit to him and the work that he’s put in. Sigle’s going to be a really good football player in this league. Credit to [S] Malik [Mustapha] and Tig [S Ji’Ayir Brown], they’ve just done a really good job holding on to those safety spots and getting better every week.”

What has been the feedback to Marques?

“His story’s not even close to over. He’s young. He’s going to, same thing I told you guys, he’s going to be a really good football player. He’s very deliberate, he’s athletic, he’s got great football IQ and it’s important to him. And you just know that over time he’s just going to continue to get better.”

When you first got here, how influential and important was it to have a guy like Indianapolis Colts DL DeForest Buckner to set the culture and do the things that you were trying to build when you first got here?

“Anytime you’ve got, from a cultural standpoint, when you first get into the building and you’re trying to set something, and not to speak for [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan], but when your best players are your hardest workers, it makes it so easy. And Buck is relentless, absolutely relentless in terms of his everyday process. And then on top of it, he’s an unbelievable person, an unbelievable leader, an unbelievable teammate. He checks every single box from a football standpoint. And when you have guys like that on your team, it makes it very easy to shift a culture.”

DL Keion White seems like he’s playing better and better football. How do you like to utilize him? What do you think of his upside? It seems like he’s got a lot of talent.

“No, for sure. We love the direction he is going. Absolutely love it. He’s going to be a really good player for us for a while. It hasn’t changed. He’s a first/second down edge defender and we kick him inside for pass downs on third down. We feel like he’s done a really nice job disrupting the passer when he gets those one-on-ones. Hopefully as the group continues to gel, and hopefully that accelerates and continues to get better, that he’ll continue to get more one-on-one opportunities, which can result in the more wins.”

With all the injuries you guys have had on offense, and especially on your side of the ball, what’s your reaction just to being in position to really controlling your fate in terms of the division and possibly the number one seed in the NFC?

“I think it’s a credit to the locker room. I think it’s obviously first and foremost, Kyle and [general manager and president of football operations] John [Lynch] and just the messaging that’s been instilled in this group since the day we walked in here back in 2017. It’s the same thing. I tell players, I challenge any of you guys to walk up to a guy like [LB] Tatum Bethune or [LB] Curtis Robinson and tell them that they’re not starters in this league. They just believe they are. They believe that they just need an opportunity. And that’s true. I’ve said it to you guys, and I’m not BS-ing when I do say it, the difference between player A and Z is an opportunity. It’s that big. It is a credit to those guys. They’ve been taking the challenge. It hasn’t been a smooth ride. There’s been a lot of highs and a lot of lows. But, the one thing that’s consistent with this group is they fight every single play and they show up to work, they’re deliberate in their approach and they put their best foot forward and whatever the result is they’re okay with it because they show up the next week and they put the same effort forward.”

Because the defense is still maturing, do you have to remind them, don’t look ahead?

“No. These guys, they go through their process, we’re human. I can assure you that a lot of the guys were watching the game last night. We’d be lying if we said we weren’t. It’s okay to have a carrot in front of you as long as you know how to bring yourself back to the moment. And I think these guys know how to do that.”

What’s your read on Indianapolis Colts TE Tyler Warren?

“Good player. Damn good player. I feel like they’re absolutely loaded on offense. All their skill guys, all three receivers, the tight end, the backs and obviously Philip being more than capable of being able to distribute the football anywhere on the football field. Their O-Line is really, really good. You could see why they were just absolutely steamrolling people. And it’s a damn good group.”

Everybody says this is going to be a great story on Monday night and it’s your job to make it a tragedy, I guess. That first game, he went underneath a lot, didn’t show a lot downfield, how do you approach a guy like Rivers when you know he has so much knowledge and yet you don’t have a lot of film on him?

“Well, I’ll say this, if he wasn’t capable of running their offense he wouldn’t be on the field. So, we’ll work off the assumption that he’s capable of doing all of it, which when you watch the tape, even though he wasn’t pushing the ball down field, you can tell that he’s more than capable. So, we don’t think anything of it.”