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The San Francisco 49ers had their sights set on Robert Saleh arguably more than any player available through the draft or free agency though it remains perfectly clear that he is the right fit to lead Fred Warner and this promising defensive core.
The San Francisco 49ers had their sights set on Robert Saleh arguably more than any player available through the draft or free agency though it remains perfectly clear that he is the right fit to lead Fred Warner and this promising defensive core. originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The 2024 San Francisco 49ers were a shell of the team that had become a staple among the NFC's elite and the NFL altogether. Coming off Super Bowl and NFC Championship Game appearances in the years prior, the Niners took a significant dip in 2025.
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San Francisco missed the playoffs and plummeted to the bottom of the NFC West standings. Their 6-11 record left them in last place.
Several factors played into their downfall with injuries having a significant responsibility there. But there were some things within their control that they simply missed the mark on.
Namely, the Niners regressed as a defensive unit. San Francisco ended the season as a bottom six group in points per game at 25.6. However, they have made the steps necessary to engineer some changes.
They notably fired Nick Sorensen and have reunited with Robert Saleh as the defenisve coordinator. At the time, the Niners did not really look deeply into another candidate, banking on his return. The gamble paid off and he is back in the Bay Area.
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Despite his return, the Niners have sustained some major losses on this side through free agency when several spots previously occupied were brought open. Nonetheless, veteran linebacker Fred Warner had one word to describe Saleh's presence back on the coaching staff: "crucial."
This echoes the feeling that Warner held earlier in the year immediately following the re-hire of Saleh.
'Just get back to being dominant,' Warner said. 'That's just what I'm used to. And it's going to take a lot of work, a lot of hard effort, but I know we're capable of doing it.'
That work is now underway with the calendar in June and OTAs underway. While there are some new faces in the locker room for this defense, they are the selection of Saleh who will now imprint his style and identity across this formation.
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If the results bear fruit to his first stint with the team that ended after the 2020 season Saleh and Warner will both be back playing meaningful games in the winter months.
Related: 49ers No. 1 Offseason Storyline Could Be Bad News
Related: 49ers Save $5.6 Million with 2 Post-June Cuts
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
