49ers Tight End George Kittle is Grateful to Have Robert Saleh Back

For the past two years, the 49ers defense seemed lifeless.

Jun 10, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) works out with his teammates during an OTA at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

For the past two years, the 49ers defense seemed lifeless.

Despite the presence of Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and Deommodore Lenoir, the defense struggled to give a consistent effort under defensive coordinators Steve Wilks and Nick Sorensen. Simply stopping the run was a major issue.

Now, Robert Saleh is back, and his defenses always fly around the field and stop the run. That's why George Kittle is so excited to have Saleh back.

"That might be the underlying headline for the Niners -- Saleh is back in the building," Kittle said this week on The Rich Eisen Show. "He's really good at his job, and I'm really excited that we somehow convinced him to be our defensive coordinator again, because he knows what he's talking about, he's inspiring, he gets the boys fired up, and he just happens to also be really, really smart. So, I'm pumped to have him back in the building, just hanging out with him a little bit, talking about stuff. You can just tell he's ready to roll this year, and he's gonna get the boys fired up. Violence is coming."

We all know that Saleh is really, really smart -- he's a chess player. He thinks 10 moves ahead. He probably could have worked on Wall Street if he wanted to. Instead, he ruins opposing offenses.

But it's interesting what Kittle said about Saleh firing up the players. Clearly, Kyle Shanahan does not have that effect on his team -- that's why he needs Saleh. Shanahan talks like a drone. He has very little emotion when he speaks. Saleh is full of emotion and passion.

He's exactly who the 49ers need.