There's a very real chance the San Francisco 49ers are one-and-done with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh upon his second stint with the franchise.
Despite being fired by the New York Jets a year ago, Saleh remains a hot name on the 2026 head-coaching cycle, and there are already two teams that'll be on the hunt for a new head coach, the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans, who previously fired their head coaches. And there'll likely be more squads looking for a new coach at the helm when the calendar turns on the new year.
But, if Saleh is peeking around the potential openings despite the Niners being in the thick of the NFC playoff race, he's not admitting it.
If anything, the coordinator is solely focused on the task at hand, as reflected in a sit-down interview with league insider Josina Anderson.
Robert Saleh says he's not currently looking for a new head-coaching job
Anderson asked Saleh about his desires for the future, which would include getting back into the head-coaching ranks after such a tumultuous time in the Big Apple.
Not surprisingly, Saleh wants to return there. But it's not his focus now whatsoever.
"Most of us—I don't know if every coach does—but we all want to get to the top of our profession," Saleh said to Anderson. "But honestly, honest, Jo, I'm just in this space right now where I'm solely focused on trying to do my best for the guys here.
"It's not a secret. We all want to be at the top of our profession and show that we can achieve greatness at the top of our profession, but—and I say this with great humility—my focus is here, and just trying our best to get to the playoffs and see if we can make some damage and host a Super Bowl here in our building."
Saleh has done a masterful job with San Francisco's defense, a unit that currently sits in the 10 best, in terms of points allowed per game, despite losing All-Pro stars Nick Bosa and Fred Warner to season-ending injuries.
So, it's no surprise he'd be a name to watch in future coaching cycles.
"I'm not thinking about it, Jo," Saleh added. "I know you probably want an answer, but we've got four weeks here. We're in the middle of a playoff push."
Niners fans have to be happy with that. And if Saleh decides the opportunities out there this upcoming offseason aren't great, perhaps he'll wind up staying with San Francisco for yet another season.
That'd be most desirable for the Faithful.
Hat tip to David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone for the find and transcription.