There is certainly going to be no shortage of players who wish soon-to-be-official Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh never left the San Francisco 49ers.
But Saleh did leave, and the Niners are now on the hunt for his successor.
It's unclear just how much Saleh's departure will impact the roster. Yet it's understandable his absence will impact some players more than others.
Especially one embattled linebacker, 2025 rookie Nick Martin.
Martin, whom San Francisco drafted with a Round 3 pick out of Oklahoma State last April at a direct request by Saleh, endured a tumultuous first year at the pro level. It kicked off with a horrid preseason debut and was followed by being bumped down way toward the bottom of the depth chart when the regular season kicked off.
While there were some modest improvements before he landed on season-ending injured reserve, Martin's stock value remains awfully low.
And Saleh's departure arguably makes it worse.
Robert Saleh leaving 49ers spells disaster for LB Nick Martin
Even Saleh didn't mince words when speaking about Martin during the regular season, pointing out how the rookie had to earn spots over guys ahead of him on the depth chart.
"You’ve got to find a role and you’ve got to make it work with who the active guys are," Saleh said last fall.
As a former linebackers coach and specialist, one who was key in developing All-Pro Fred Warner, Saleh's patience and expertise was seen as vital to ensuring Martin would remain on an upward trajectory despite the shaky start.
After seeing less than 90 combined snaps between special teams and defensive play over a mere seven games during the regular season, Martin could easily be trending toward being a third-round draft bust than one who'd eventually develop under someone like Saleh's tutelage.
It's unclear whether or not Saleh wanted the 49ers to invest more time and patience in Martin before the latter's injury, although one can assume the coach's departure means a new coordinator likely won't feel obliged to maintain that same level of attention on the linebacker.
All that does is point to Martin's future with the franchise as uncertain, at best.