Robert Saleh predicted to leave 49ers for head coaching job with division rival

The San Francisco 49ers have had many unsung heroes in 2025, especially defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.

Despite having to battle through injuries to key players, such as edge rusher Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner, Saleh has still been able to lead San Francisco's defense to a top-ten scoring finish. The unit also looked dominant in the team's wild-card victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, holding the Eagles to just 6 points in the second half.

Due to his impressive work this year with the 49ers, Saleh is expected to get a second chance as a head coach. USA Today's Jack McKessy will stay in the NFC West and take the Arizona Cardinals' head coaching job.

Here is what McKessy had to say about Saleh and his potential fit in Arizona.

"Saleh has several feathers in his cap that make him a strong fit for the Cardinals' head coaching job. For one, his defenses have finished in the top five in (fewest) yards allowed in five of the last seven years – twice as the 49ers' defensive coordinator and three times as the Jets' head coach. Saleh has tons of experience in the NFC West. He returned to the 49ers in 2025 for his second stint with the team, but it's his fifth overall in the division across two stints."

The Cardinals fired Jonathan Gannon after a 4-13 season in 2025, and though hiring another defensive coach wouldn't be an electric move, Saleh is more than capable of being a winning head coach.

Saleh didn't have much success during his first stint as a head coach with the New York Jets from 2021 to 2024, but succeeding in New York is nearly impossible, and the Jets have looked considerably worse without Saleh as head coach, whom they fired in the middle of the 2024 season.

With the Cardinals, Saleh would be in a better position to win, though Arizona's quarterback situation is a massive question mark that must be answered this offseason.

However, Saleh has the ability to elevate the Cardinals' defense, which would bolster the team's playoff chances.

We'll see who Arizona decides to replace Gannon with as head coach, but Saleh would be a nice hire that could help the franchise finally find a direction.