It only took Robert Saleh one year back as the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator to get another shot at an NFL head coaching job, this time with the Tennessee Titans.
After flaming out in New York with the Jets, as Aaron Rodgers clearly wrestled away control of the team from the brilliant defensive mind, Saleh found himself facing off against his former team in the Titans' Week 1 matchup.
Saleh was out for vengeance, and getting started off on the right foot could go a long way toward proving that this time would be better than the last. Neither Tennessee nor New York is thought of as a talented team, but given the familiarity, one would think that Saleh had the upper hand.
What ensued wasn't pretty.
Rather than executing a game plan to shut down the Jets' offensive stars, Garrett Wilson (six catches for 79 yards) and Breece Hall (102 rushing yards and a touchdown) tore his All Gas, No Breaks defense apart.
At the end of it all, the Titans fell by a score of 23-10,
Robert Saleh's 2nd foray into head coaching might prove he's nothing more than a great coordinator
Throughout NFL history, we've seen brilliant minds at the coordinator level flame out as head coaches. Many times, these guys don't get a second chance to sit in the big chair.
In a way, it's surprising Saleh got a second chance, and even more so that it came so quickly. Saleh's second stint with the Niners didn't go quite as well as his first. Granted, Saleh dealt with key injuries to Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and others, but it was his ability to adjust to injuries and completely adjust his scheme on the fly that got him the job with the Jets in the first place.
Still, despite the disappointing tenure in New York, the Jets are known as one of, if not the, most dysfunctional franchises in the NFL. That fact alone helped Saleh get a do-over. The loss to his former club hurts that much more as a result.
Saleh loaded up the Titans' defense with his old favorites. Players like Jermaine Johnson, John Franklin-Myers, and old friend Solomon Thomas found their way to Nashville to reunite with him. None of them showed up to perform in Week 1.
During the contest, it became clear that adapting was once again an issue for Saleh. The former San Francisco mastermind saw his front four struggle to generate any semblance of heat against Geno Smith. It didn't matter; he still played his conservative style, coming in near the bottom of the league with a 19-percent blitz rate.
Robert Saleh is asked about hearing boos in his first game as head coach of the Titans:
— SNY Jets (@snyjets) September 14, 2026
"It comes with the territory. When you lose, you're a loser." pic.twitter.com/7UtmSj1GZP
As the clock ticked on the action, boos rained down on Saleh and the Titans. Just like that, the honeymoon was over. The fans' optimism that a new regime could change Tennessee's fortunes was quickly extinguished.
"It comes with the territory. When you lose, you're a loser," Saleh said during his postgame remarks.
He's not wrong. And, to expand upon that thought, when you're not a head coach, you're just a coordinator. It's too early to come to that conclusion just yet, but the loss to the Jets was not a good sign, and we could soon see that become evident with Saleh. Being the head honcho and being a coordinator are two very different beasts.
There's no shame in being just a good defensive coordinator, as long as you stay in your lane.
We're about to learn how far from his lane Saleh has ventured.
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