It's a shame San Francisco 49ers coordinator Robert Saleh has had just one full season with a healthy Nick Bosa at defensive end, and that came way back during the latter's rookie year in 2019.
As was the case in 2020, Saleh will have to figure out how to manage the Niners defense for much of the year sans Bosa after the former Defensive Player of the Year suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the Week 3 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. And it's going to be a challenge, seeing how poorly San Francisco has historically fared without Bosa in the lineup.
Unlike 2020, though, Saleh has more at his disposal. Three-plus years of experience revamping the New York Jets defense in between his Bay Area tenures have given the coordinator additional insight and expertise, while the 49ers' offseason approach of infusing youthful talent into his side of the ball should eventuallly help matters, too.
Putting it bluntly, 2025 isn't anywhere close to that horrid injury-plagued 2020 campaign. At least not yet, even if it might seem like it so far.
Yet there's a small wrinkle Saleh has at his disposal that could truly help alleviate Bosa's absence, and it's one the coordinator has honed in the years leading up to 2025.
Robert Saleh's 1 tool for aiding 49ers defense sans Nick Bosa
Assuming the Niners don't respond to Bosa's injury with some blockbuster trade, which is always possible, Saleh might be inclined to scheme up pressure to lift some of the heavy load now placed on less-known pass-rushers like Bryce Huff and Mykel Williams.
Saleh's defensive philosophy has long relied on four-man pressure, banking on them getting home while allowing seven others to drop back in coverage. When it works, it works well. Without Bosa, though, it might be a bit more problematic.
Through three weeks, San Francisco's defense ranks seventh lowest in blitz percentage (17 percent), and that number saw a substantial increase in Week 3 after Bosa's departure. One might expect this figure to change in the upcoming weeks, particularly with Saleh deploying a tactic he frequently used back in 2020 -- sending either a nickel corner or a strong safety on a blitz -- to the tune of a 33.6 blitz percentage that season, which was 10th highest.
In 2023, Saleh's last full season as New York's head coach, a strong front four allowed him to drop his blitz percentage down to 16.3 percent, which was higher than only one team, the Indianapolis Colts (15.7 percent). It's also worth noting that was the year in which Huff recorded a career-best 10 sacks serving under Saleh in the Big App.
This contrast shows how Saleh has been capable of adjusting his scheme to best maximize the personnel available, and that's precisely what he'll need to do to mitigate Bosa's loss.
Unless, somehow, the 49ers wind up getting better-than-expected production from players like Huff, Williams and others in the interim.