How Robert Saleh's Scheme has Changed Since First Stint at 49ers DC

The 49ers defense hasn't changed much since Robert Saleh left in 2021, but he has.

Jan 12, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Green Bay Packers offensive consultant Robert Saleh on the sidelines during warmups against the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC wild card game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The 49ers defense hasn't changed much since Robert Saleh left in 2021, but he has.

No matter whom the 49ers have hired to replace Saleh, whether it was DeMeco Ryans, Steve Wilks or Nick Sorensen, that coordinator had to use the Wide 9 front. And two of those coordinators got fired after just one season.

Now Saleh is back for his second stint as defensive coordinator. To find out how his scheme has changed since his first stint, I asked defensive line coach Kris Kocurek.

"There are always things that evolve within a scheme," Korcurek said. "I would say probably the place where it has evolved maybe the least would be upfront. The coverage aspects of it, how you adjust to what offenses are doing from a motion standpoint and a lot of these college coordinators integrating into the NFL with what they do at the college level, especially the back-end dudes, they have a lot of adjustments that have to change yearly. Upfront there are some small tweaks, nothing significant that you'll drastically be able to see but there will be some small tweaks that have been changed since he was here in 2020."

It's no surprise that the 49ers are stubbornly sticking with the Wide 9 despite its mixed results the past few seasons. Kyle Shanahan clearly believes in it and so does Robert Saleh. Fortunately for the 49ers, Saleh actually knows how to coach it, unlike Wilks and Sorensen.

So here's how Saleh has evolved: When he first became the defensive coordinator in 2017, he almost always rushed just four players and he predominantly called three-deep zone coverage on all three downs. Now, he predominantly calls two-deep zone coverage on first and second down and then man coverage with a five-man rush on third down.

I'm sure his scheme has evolved in other ways as well. We'll find out soon enough.