Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh Press Conference

Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh

Press Conference – September 25, 2025

San Francisco 49ers

Losing DL Nick Bosa and having lost him in 2020 like you did and you obviously blitzed a lot more of that year, are there things you can draw from that experience or things that you liked or didn’t like without him that may be helpful now?

“Every team’s different. I think what’s underrated about that ‘20 group is it was COVID, they were all with us for at least four years. That was year four for a lot of those backups. So, while meeting time was down, that group was together. So, we just out-executed people because we had been together and meeting times were limited in the way COVID was. It’s a little bit different, but yeah, there’s always things that you can draw to, but at the same time this is its own unique situation and this defense is significantly different.”

You’ve got DL Mykel Williams as an edge rusher on pass downs. Is that an option to sort of make up what’s lacking?

“Mykel’s versatile enough to do whatever we ask him to do. We’re always going to try to keep it limited so we don’t overwhelm him with different techniques, but he’s talented.”

What did you know about DL Sam Okuayinonu before you got here and what do you like about him now that you’ve been working with him for a little while?

“I knew he was a gritty, grunt-type D-Lineman that that could do everything and anything that you asked. I love his play style. I love his mentality. I love the way he brings it every day to work. He’s got more to him than just being a run defender on early downs. I think he does have pass-rush value. He actually can play some linebacker too, he’s got some good coverage ability. So, he’s a really cool player in that regard.”

Jacksonville’s running the ball pretty well with two different backs. What does it look like on film when you see it?

“It’s good, man. [Jacksonville Jaguars head coach] Liam [Coen] and his staff, they’re doing a really, really nice job. It’s carrying over from Tampa. Their run game is fast, it’s violent. It’s going to be a tremendous challenge.”

What do you think will be the biggest challenge, specifically against the Jaguars without Nick Bosa out there? What have you been doing this week for preparation to combat that possible challenge?

“Jacksonville, this is a very young but talented group. Liam and his staff, a couple of guys coming from Minnesota, they’ve got legally, a really advanced signal stealing type system where they always find a way to put themselves in an advantageous situation. They do a great job with it. They formation you to just try to find any nugget they can. So, we’ve got to be great with our signals and we’ve got to be great with our communication to combat some of the tells that we might give on the field. They’re almost elite in that regard. That whole entire tree from [Los Angeles Rams head coach] Sean [McVay] to [Minnesota Vikings head coach] Kevin O’Connell to all those guys, they all do it. So, there’s challenges. They’re going to catch us in some situations where they have the advantage and we’ve just got to play good, sound, fundamental football and do our best to out-execute them.”

When it comes to the communication, is there any drop off? Was Bosa the more vocal guy on that defensive line in the games?

“No, I think they do a good job communicating with one another. [Defensive line coach] Kris [Kocurek] does a great job managing those guys and making sure that everyone’s on the same page at all times. So, from a communication-standpoint, we expect to still be very good.”

Who are they stealing the signals from?

“That’s the ultimate trick, whether it’s people from the sideline or whether it’s our individual hand signals. Whatever nugget they can find, they catch it. They always happen to find themselves in good situations based on the coverage you show. There’s nothing illegal about it. I’m not suggesting that. It’s just, you can tell that they’ve got a can system that’s getting them into a very advantageous position. It gets them into a very advantageous position multiple times during the course of a game.”

Have you ever experienced it? Has this ever happened to you during a game and you’re like, wow, they’re stealing my signals?

“No, were there findings, and I was like, ‘how’d they know to get to that play?’ Yeah. We dealt with it in Minnesota last year. They got us into a couple of situations. You can see it on tape when they’re studying. It’s like, ‘how’d they know to be in that call at that time?’ We’ve experienced it with the Rams a little bit. It’s not an uncommon thing. This group of people, they’re pretty good at it.”

As a head coach and a coordinator in this League, how difficult is what Jacksonville is doing with WR/CB Travis Hunter when you talk about the meeting times for two different positions and having to arrange a lot of stuff around that and trying to get him up to speed in two different areas?

“Everyone’s got their own philosophy. He is uber talented and from everything we gathered during the Draft process, he’s an elite human in terms of work ethic and energy that he brings to the building. But I mean, you guys see how I speak about Mykel. I’m nervous about him playing outside and inside on the D-Line, let alone two sides of the ball. It is challenging, but I think if anyone’s up to that task, it’d be a guy like him.”

How does he look to you as an offensive player?

“He looks really good. Like I said, he’s got all the talent in the world. Like all rookies, there’s a learning curve. But, there’s no question that when you watch the tape he’s someone that once he gets into his groove, he’s going to take off.”

Losing Bosa, personally and professionally, it’s all bad. But, is any part of you or your personality enjoy the challenge of figuring it out? Like, how do we do this without him?

“So, you remind me of a funny story. I’m going to share it with you (laughter). So a long time ago, we’re in Jacksonville, we’re playing the New England Patriots, and [former NFL QB] Tom Brady shows up on the injury report and we’re like, ‘oh my God, he might be out.’ [Assistant head coach defense] Gus Bradley, head coach comes in, and he goes, ‘what? We want them at their best, we want Tom Brady to play.’ And I was like, ‘no, we don’t, we don’t want them at their best.’ No, there’s nothing enjoyable. From a personal standpoint, we’re always going to go to work. We’re always going to try to find a way to put our guys in the best situation possible. But, the most painful thing is to see a guy like Nick Bosa, who I thought had a perfect offseason, he had a perfect training camp, and he was playing at a defensive player of the year level. He was playing at an extremely high level, probably the best he’s played in the last couple of years. For it to end short for him like that after two games and a quarter, it sucks for him. Don’t feel sorry for anyone in this building. We get to show up, we get to watch film, we get to go to work, we get to go on the grass and try to figure it out. That’s always going to be the fun part. What’s sad is that he’s going to be in rehab. And that’s where my heart goes.”

Philosophically as a guy who’s been a head coach, is it just bigger, faster, stronger? Is it sometimes turf? Could you put a finger on just how it seems like injuries are more prevalent right now than they ever have been in the game?

“I have a lot of thoughts, way too long for this press conference, but we can visit on that one day. But I argue that I don’t know if the body was meant to have as much torque and power in the tendons, but I’m not a doctor.”

What does a play like what CB Upton Stout did at the end of the game on Sunday do for him just in terms of kind of proof of concept of the work that he’s putting in.

“I think he’s got a tremendous amount of confidence. I think anytime a young man makes a play like that, of course it’s going to add confidence. But, I don’t think he’s short of confidence, I don’t think that play would’ve made or break his confidence. He shows up every day. He shows up with intent to work. He’s learning. He asked the other day, what do I need to do to get better? I was like, you just need to continue getting reps. He’s so smart. He’s such a student of the game. He’s going to start to learn the tendencies of offenses and what they’re trying to do and what they’re trying to attack. You trust that with 10,000 reps he’s going to be elite in the things that we ask him to be great at.”

Have you had a chance to talk to Nick and how is his mindset? I know it’s got to be challenging when he’s gone through this three times, but what can you glean from what your conversation was like?

“Nick’s great. He’s in good spirits. I visited with him a couple of times, and I think he’s off getting his work done. But you know, what do you say? You just listen, right? I mean, he’s devastated, like anyone else would be. You put in so much work to be a part of a team and locker room and to help your team win football games and then you’re done. So, I can’t empathetically speak for him, but sympathetically, just feeling how heavy he is in terms of like, he wants to be here. This is not a relief for him. So, like I said, with all the things that we have to do within the building, I mean, that’s always going to be a blessing. For him not to be here, to be a part of that, I feel for him.”

DB Deommodore Lenoir was pretty vocal in the offseason about stepping into that CB-one role and taking on opposing teams’ wide receiver one. Looking at the matchup, Jacksonville Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. on the other side, how does he match up and do you just think about it more as like a collective going up against a receiver like that?

“I think DMo matches up with anybody in football. He’s aggressive at the line of scrimmage, he is physical, he’s very smart at route recognition and all that stuff. So, whoever lines up to DMo’s side is, I feel like we’re in a really good position. I feel like we’re at an advantage with DMo on the field. So, DMo’s always going to give whoever lines up on his side problems.”