The San Francisco 49ers are off to a solid 2-0 start in the 2025 regular season, and one could argue it is largely thanks to two people: defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and quarterback Mac Jones.
Both may be departing the Niners after this season.
With Saleh back as the team's defensive coordinator after a sojourn with the New York Jets, and briefly, the Green Bay Packers, San Francisco's defense has looked solid in the first two weeks of the season and has saved the team at key junctures.
While quarterback Brock Purdy started in Week 1 against Seattle and delivered a shaky but ultimately clutch performance to clinch the victory, he injured his toe, which is why Jones had to start in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints.
Jones looked great as he threw for 279 passing yards and had three touchdowns compared to no interceptions. He looked very comfortable in head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense and has even started some chatter, largely baseless, about a quarterback controversy.
While the QB controversy talk may be bogus, it is not bogus to start thinking about how both Saleh and Jones could potentially be gone after this season.
Robert Saleh, Mac Jones could depart 49ers in 2026
With Jones, he did sign a two-year contract with the 49ers, and the hope was they could have a little bit of continuity in the quarterback room behind Purdy, which is something they did not have the last few seasons.
Still, with how solid Jones looked in Week 2 and if he is able to continue playing well, it seems obvious the Niners will field some calls from other teams on Jones' availability. He is proving his value to the 49ers right now with his performance while Purdy is out, but if they get a strong offer either this season or at some point in the offseason, they may not be able to refuse it.
With Saleh, there is a chance he could try to become a head coach somewhere else after 2025. He had a rough go of things with the Jets, but he also had some bad luck there, too, so other teams may want to give him a fresh start.
If San Francisco's defense looks solid this year, especially given the fact it has a lot of young, inexperienced players starting, then expect teams to inquire about Saleh in the offseason.
The 49ers would love to retain Saleh as well because, like a backup QB, they've have had a lot of turnover at defensive coordinator in recent years. Shanahan does not want to have yet another defensive coordinator search.
Saleh may want to stay with San Francisco unless he finds a perfect coaching opportunity. After his experience with the Jets, he may want to wait until the right team and right situation comes along so he is better set up for success in his second try as a head coach in the NFL.
We will see how the rest of this year plays out, but with how the defense has looked and how Jones has looked, it would not come as a huge shock if the Niners are looking for a new defensive coordinator and new backup quarterback in the offseason.