Robert Saleh is an omen: 6 signs that the 49ers’ luck might be changing

It’s not yet February, but more things are already going right for the 49ers in 2025 than anything that went down in their cursed and wounding 2024.

In any other off-season, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch reeling in Robert Saleh for his second term as defensive coordinator wouldn’t seem like a such a triumph. Saleh was a very good DC for the 49ers in Shanahan’s first four seasons, he left to take a head-coaching job, and now he’s back. Nice story, but why so meaningful?

Well, because the 49ers just went through back-to-back one-and-done DCs after hectic searches. Because of all the injuries, contract squabbles, sloppy play, and horrible vibes the 49ers endured over the previous 12 months. And because Shanahan and Lynch prioritized Saleh as their top choice while apparently bypassing other top options, then persevered through several hours this week fretting that he’d land a head-coaching job elsewhere.

They were going all-in for Saleh. And what happens if you push in all your chips and lose? The 49ers don’t have to worry about that outcome anymore, because they’ve got Saleh. They’re 1-0 in the off-season. Most importantly, they’re not 0-1 and sweating over a lesser list of late-cycle DC candidates.

Now, of course, we’ll see about Brock Purdy’s contract negotiations, injury rehabilitations, the free-agent period, and the draft. Also, Shanahan still has to fill his special-teams coordinator job and finish off the process to elevate Klay Kubiak to offensive coordinator.

Unlucky things could still occur. Some silliness almost certainly will occur at some point between now and the end of the next season. But right now, the 49ers are on a 2025 winning streak. And they will absolutely take it.

Here are six specific reasons why Saleh’s return is such a positive sign for the 49ers:

If Saleh had gotten the top job in Jacksonville, the 49ers would’ve had to scramble through their options Bs and Cs, with everybody knowing they were secondary options. 49ers assistant head coach Brandon Staley and Lions defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend were the only other official interviews for this position, but neither seemed like the right fit. Pete Carroll also was a name tossed around in the building, but he got the Raiders’ coaching job on Friday.

I think Shanahan and Lynch would’ve had to go through a whole other interview process — which would’ve spoiled the head start they got this year after missing the playoffs. It could’ve been a repeat of the previous two harried DC searches, which came much later in the cycle after long 49ers’ postseason runs. And which, yes, ended with two abrupt firings after mediocre one-year tenures by Steve Wilks and then Nick Sorensen.

Ending up back with Saleh is much more comfortable. The system won’t change. The new voice in the locker room, in meetings, and on the sidelines will actually be a very welcome old voice.

Things worked out for Shanahan and Lynch this time, but they likely were anticipating some things that didn’t happen and didn’t anticipate one or two major things that did.

My sense is that the 49ers were pretty worried about losing Saleh a few days ago — immediately after Liam Coen pulled out of the Jaguars’ search and agreed to a big new deal to remain as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator. Saleh seemed to be about 50-50 for the Jacksonville job. I don’t know if he would’ve taken it with GM Trent Baalke attached, but I believe the 49ers were concerned that he would.

But they got lucky: The Jaguars suddenly fired Baalke on Wednesday, which got Coen to reconsider the job, and suddenly Saleh wasn’t planning a flight to Jacksonville for a second interview. He was getting ready to sign up for a second tour with the 49ers

I’ll be the official scorekeeper here: This is the second time that the 49ers have been boosted by Baalke getting fired. (The 49ers did the literal Baalke-firing themselves after the 2016 season to set up the hirings of Shanahan and Lynch.)

He won’t have to check in to see if the system is being applied correctly (like he did with Wilks) or if the DC is ready for this (like he did with Sorensen). He won’t have to worry that the DC isn’t energetic enough. He won’t have to check the temperature of the defensive players to see if they’re onboard. He’ll also have somebody who might push back at some Shanahan decisions, which was always a healthy thing during Saleh’s first DC run.

What I’ve heard from 49ers people the last few days: Now Shanahan can devote all his energies to getting the offense churning like it did in 2019 and 2023 — the 49ers’ two Super Bowl trips in this era.

The implication is that Shanahan may have been spread a little thin the last two seasons, having to oversee the entire team, call the offense, and closely monitor the defensive ups and downs.

Saleh went through a real adventure with the Jets, their questionable owner Woody Johnson, and their aging quarterback Aaron Rodgers, so now he can really appreciate the relative calm of life under Shanahan and Lynch. He can sink into the nitty-gritty with players he already knows and who already respect him. And this —and especially its quarterback — is just a bit more reliable than anything he had in New York.

Also, with the additional experience, Saleh will probably come back to the 49ers with new energy and a sense of how to adjust things on the fly when all is not lined up perfectly.

This could be a two-for-one, in the 49ers’ most pressing coaching vacancies. NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco reported on Thursday that the 49ers interviewed Boyer for the special-teams job. Hmm, who do you think might’ve recommended him?

I’ve always thought that defensive-minded coaches usually take more interest — and give more value to — special-teams play than offensive-minded coaches because both defense and special teams are about gaining field position and trying to avoid the big mistake that costs a touchdown.

Saleh already left the 49ers once for a head-coaching gig. Of course, he could do it again, maybe as soon as next January, which would mean three straight one-year DC terms.

But Saleh doesn’t have to jump at anything — he can be extremely choosy if things are going well again with the 49ers. (Psst: Taking the Jacksonville job if Baalke was still there would’ve been the exact opposite of choosy.)

Even if Saleh is a one-year flight risk, though, it doesn’t really matter. With this aging roster and what they all went through last season, the 49ers aren’t thinking too much beyond next year’s Super Bowl, anyway. If Saleh runs a top-5 defense that helps get them there, he’ll be a great HC candidate in 2026. But he’ll already have done what the 49ers wanted, anyway. If they win a Super Bowl and have to go on another DC search, Shanahan and Lynch will find a way to console themselves … while they ride through confetti during the victory parade.