Tonight’s Robert Saleh Interview Is Critical for the Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals need to make this interview count.

Nov 16, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh looks on in the third quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals are set to bring in San Francisco 49ers DC Robert Saleh for an interview tonight, according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter.

"49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is scheduled to interview late tonight for the Arizona Cardinals head coaching job," he put on X.

This comes after it was revealed Saleh had interviews scheduled with the Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens, according to SI.com's Albert Breer.

"49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is interviewing for the Dolphins job tonight, and will interview for the Titans and Ravens jobs on Sunday, sources said. He's also trying to work out a time to interview with the Cardinals—being on a short week's made scheduling tough," Breer wrote.

It doesn't exactly give a good feeling to have to effectively squeeze Saleh in for an interview, though at least he's meeting with the Cardinals. And to their benefit, they'll get one of the first dibs on meeting with him.

Arizona's just one of eight NFL teams looking for a new head coach after the first domino fell late last night when the New York Giants struck a deal with John Harbaugh, who the Cardinals were also interested in.

Saleh was among the first crop of names Arizona brass requested to interview after firing Jonathan Gannon. He's considered to be one of the top names in this coaching cycle.

That's mostly thanks to his work on the defensive side of the ball for San Francisco, as the 49ers have suffered a plague of injuries but have persevered — partly due to Saleh's coaching work.

That's a familiar story with a different ending for Cardinals fans who also endured the injury bug through 2025, though a plethora of reasons saw Arizona finish just 3-14 on the season.

A mostly talented defense wasn't able to reach its potential, even with injuries, and there would be strong hope Saleh could get Arizona's unit moving in the right direction.

The 49ers' defense didn't post eye-popping numbers in 2025, though they finished just outside the top ten in terms of points allowed per game and run defense.

There's not many top options for the Cardinals to turn things around in a quick manner like owner Michael Bidwill hopes, but with a roster ready to rock and roll in the now, Saleh's leadership and prior head coaching experience may be best suited for the job.

Unfortunately, that also makes him an attractive candidate across the board. It's not boom-or-bust with Saleh, but the Cardinals need to nail this interview.