He didn't say it directly, but Robert Saleh's first press conference after returning to the 49ers included a noticeable jab back at the Jets.
There's a sentiment former head coach Robert Saleh was the voice who was holding together what was a mess of the New York Jets in recent years.
Upon Saleh's midseason firing in 2024, things rapidly fell apart for Gang Green, leading to a full housecleaning and (hopeful) new direction for their owner, Woody Johnson.
Saleh, meanwhile, went back to his previous employer, the San Francisco 49ers, to serve again as defensive coordinator where he made a name for himself from 2017 through 2020 under head coach Kyle Shanahan.
In doing so, the Niners apparently gave the coordinator some power over both roster decisions and picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, the latter of which was pretty much confirmed by CEO Jed York during the three-day event in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
When asked about having influence, Saleh had some provocative words, and it's not hard to read between the lines and see why the Jets might have been on his mind at the moment.
Robert Saleh praises 49ers 'collaboration,' hints Jets had none of it
The second-time coordinator spoke with reporters at Levi's Stadium this week ahead of rookie minicamp, sharing a number of reasons why returning to the Bay Area was so attractive a proposition.
When asked about his role in the Niners' draft selections, Saleh didn't openly admit he had a say but did point at how collaborative an environment San Francisco was.
"This organization, and no pun intended, with it being the gold standard with regard to collaboration and communication," Saleh described. "Most buildings maybe spend a week in terms of communication between the scouting department and coaching staff with regards to the draft. This organization will spend three to four weeks just grinding on tape, offense, defense, special teams, and going deep into the seventh-round, undrafted free agent type players.
"And I think that’s why this organization has had so much success finding day-three picks that come to fruition, and even undrafted free agents that end up having success in this league. So, when it comes to finding players, this organization does a phenomenal job with collaboration."
True, Saleh has spent more time in the NFL than just with the 49ers and Jets. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks also employed him, although he never had the kind of prominent roles there as he did with both the Niners and in New York where he'd fully understand and appreciate collaborative efforts.
Judging by the tumult Saleh experienced during his time in the Big Apple, it's not too hard to read his remarks and think he was recalling some of the more toxic elements of his head-coaching tenure.
Either way, it's good to be with a gold standard instead.