Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh Press Conference

Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh

Press Conference – September 4, 2025

San Francisco 49ers

How are you feeling about your young defensive linemen and how far they’ve come? I know they didn’t get a lot of preseason snaps.

“Well, they better have fresh legs then, but (laugh), no past couple of practices have been good. Feel fast. You know, like I said, it’s going to be fun to get those guys out there and see how we do.”

What’s the likelihood that CB Upton Stout will be starting given the time that he had missed?

“We’ll see. We still have another couple of days of preparation. I think we have a general idea of how this can play out, but whatever little advantage it might give, we’ll just hold onto to that decision for Sunday.”

The offensive system they’ve put in place, how similar are you expecting it to be versus what’s run here?

“For sure. There are similarities, but you know, like everyone who’s a disciple of, I grew up in the Seattle Seahawk cover three system, as created by [assistant head coach of defense] Gus Bradley, who happens to be in the building. I kind of branched off and made it my own deal. So, I’m sure [Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak] Kube over there has done the same thing. He’s got some nuance to what he does that’s a little bit different. While you see similarities, there are things that have his hallmark touch on it.”

So, you’d expect them to really emphasize the running game out the gates to see if you guys can handle it?

“Yeah. You’d expect that, but it’s really whatever they feel is fit for that game plan. They’ve got a fantastic O-line coach in [Seattle Seahawks offensive line coach] John Benton, who we had at the Jets with us too, and who we’re all familiar with here at the Niners. Even [Seattle Seahawks run game coordinator/senior offensive advisor] Rick Dennison who’s a really good O-line coach is also there. So, they’re very well coached. You can see it on tape. They’re athletic upfront, and they do a really good job executing their zone scheme.”

Many teams in your division now run the outside zone. Did that come into play when you were talking about DL Mykel Williams, his value and what he might be good at in the game?

“Several things with Mykel, like rebuilding a defensive line. Mykel, you know, we look at him as an outside guy on first and second down, similar in the way [Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Arik] Armstead was, and then you kick him in inside, at least the early years of Armstead. Then give him a chance to go rush a passer. We think he’s got a chance to be a really good interior pass rusher. But yeah, Mykel’s athletic enough on the edge. He’s long enough, he can set edges, and he can handle those double teams. Tight ends are going to be at a severe disadvantage with him. So, you feel good about him setting edges on the outside and making sure that ball stays funneled to the linebackers. So, it’s all encompassing. He’s just a really good football player who has got a really high ceiling. So again, one of those rookies who really has missed a lot of time during training camp, but we’re excited to see him play and grow throughout the year.”

How much has Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Donald improved over the last few years, and what is he doing well at this point?

“A lot. We played him last year when I was with the Jets in London. Just studying his tape, he’s very confident, he is a playmaker. Last year he proved that he could be a good decision maker also. You know, he took care of the football, he got the ball to his playmakers, and I think the scheme just fits him. [Minnesota Vikings head coach] Kevin O’Connell did a great job, and I think him coming up to Seattle, being in the same system is going to be good for him. You can tell, even in the one drive that they had, just complete command of the offense and getting those guys in and out of the huddle with tempo. They were flawless in their execution on that one drive they had against Kansas City. So, he’s improved greatly especially, even though I never got a chance to coach him at the Jets, the background of when I arrived to what you see is very different.”

You prepared for different variations of this all off season, but you know why you were brought here. You also said that you could see as many as six rookies starting, probably didn’t get the amount of playing time in the exhibition season you would’ve liked with them. So, how do you rate things right now with the expectation probably that you get better as the season wears on?

“Put your seatbelt on, enjoy the ride. It’s going to be a lot of ups and downs, a lot of really cool moments, a lot of hair pulling moments, but they’re good kids. They work hard. They’re fast, they’re violent. They love the game of football. They’re ready to play, and they’re ready for their opportunity.”

You used to use the phrase, “we’ll see” a fair number of times leading up to this. What is that like for you as a coach? I’m sure there’s a certain amount of, “we’ll see” any time you go into Week One, but this year in particular with so many new pieces, what is that like for you?

“The growth part, because you never know, right? You can go into a season, and I would imagine just talking to [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan], when the roster is veteran and it’s been together for a while, you just know you’re going to kick the living daylights out of people. When you’re young and you’ve got a bunch of new faces, you have confidence that you will, but you’re just excited for the affirmation, if that makes sense. You see it on in the practice field. We saw it against the Raiders in practice. We saw it with Denver. You know, just the competitive spirit, the guys are getting after it. Obviously, the regular season is a completely different speed. But it’s going to be exciting to go through the process with them because it’s not going to be the same at the end of the year. These kids are going to get better, especially with reps, they’re only going to get faster. They’re only going to get stronger. But, through the whole process, you just don’t know until then, and this is just one of those deals where we’re excited to see the affirmations come to life.”

DB Deommodore Lenoir’s a new team captain this year. I realize you weren’t here when he got here, but in terms of his leadership, what are some examples of the stuff that you’ve noticed throughout camping to this point?

“You always want to see how somebody approaches the game. You want your leaders to be deliberate. You want your leaders to be your hardest workers. You want your leaders to lead by example with regard to regen, rehab, working out, taking care of their bodies, their eating habits and their study habits. Just observing him through that. He doesn’t have to say a word. I can tell you right now that he’s already a leader in that regard. He’s very deliberate in his approach. He’s very intentional. Every rep is very important to him. Then on top of it, you see him talking to guys. He’s got an energy to him. His teammates love him. He’s a dog on the football field in terms of his physicality, and his desire to compete. So, pumped for him. Like I said, this is my first exposure to him, and he’s every bit of what you would expect the captain to look like.”

With someone like DL Nick Bosa who everyone talks about how advanced he was coming into the NFL and that was your only season with him. When you come back and you see him, is it like he looks like the same guy, or has he added things or done things to where he’s a far different player?

“He’s added stuff. His rookie year, I’d never seen a D-lineman make so many Tackles just whiff before, like the way he did. It was bizarre. I remember standing on the podium because God bless [former OL] Joe Staley couldn’t block him the entire training camp. I was like, well, eventually he will. He is a veteran. He still hasn’t touched him, but you just know guys like him, his pedigree and the way he was raised and the way he approached the game his entire life. He’s always trying to find nuance to his game to help him get better. I’m really pumped for him. I don’t want to say he’s always going to have big years. I’m looking forward to seeing how this one plays out for him.”

You said that all the young guys in the locker have changed the attitude. I know you weren’t here last year, but do you feel that youthful energy from all the young guys in there?

“I can’t compare it to years past. What I could tell you is that whenever there’s an injection of youth, they don’t know any better. They haven’t been scarred by the business part of it. They haven’t been scarred by the playing time. They make an average two-yard gain and they’re jumping around like they made a fourth and one stop to win the Super Bowl. It’s just that juice and that energy. Their love of football shines in their habits because everything is fresh and new to them. That does kind of trickle down and it does rub off on all the veterans. You can compare it to an old dog getting a little puppy in the house. The old dogs going to get up and get ready to go. It’s going to have a little extra juice to it. So young guys are fun. Like I said though, they make mistakes, but they go a hundred miles an hour doing it. They bring a lot of juice. They make it fun. And like I said, we’re looking forward to seeing them play.”