Why Robert Saleh's Beef with Jaguars Extends Beyond Liam Coen

Robert Saleh gets the opportunity to see his good pal Liam Coen at least twice a season now. He has more animosity for the Jaguars than just that.

Sep 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh walks off of the field after the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

It's official. The Tennessee Titans have hired former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as their new head coach. They were disappointed with the team's performance and Cam Ward's development under Brian Callahan, leading them to fire him after a 1-5 start to the 2025 NFL season.

Apparently, they weren't satisfied with Mike McCoy's performance as the interim, either. After an extensive head-coaching search, they've landed on Saleh as their pick. With an impressive campaign leading an injury-riddled Niners defense to a Divisional Round appearance, Tennessee has opted to give him another shot after he was dismissed by the New York Jets in 2024.

Oct 3, 2021; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh hugs quarterback Zach Wilson before the game against the Tennessee Titans at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin R. Wexler-Imagn Images | NorthJersey.com-Imagn Images

Robert Saleh has history with the Jaguars

By now, pretty much everyone knows the beef between the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach, Liam Coen, and the Tennessee Titans' Robert Saleh. There are a couple of different drivers behind the animosity. For one, Saleh was thought to be the Jaguars' leading candidate after Coen initially turned down the job. Then, when Jacksonville fired General Manager Trent Baalke, Coen changed his mind and ultimately landed the job.

Then, ahead of the Jaguars' Week 4 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, Saleh elected to "compliment" Coen and his staff's ability to steal signals from opposing sidelines. Coen and the Jaguars didn't take that kindly. After the Jaguars defeated the Niners, 26-21, Jacksonville's head coach made sure to tell Saleh to keep his name out of his mouth.

“Keep my name out of your mouth,”

Liam Coen and Robert Saleh exchange after Jaguars win. Saleh used the phrase “legal sign stealing” in news conference last week in reference to Coen. pic.twitter.com/yYcjm1oHIP

— BrentDanStuartMarcelAlivia (@ActionSportsJax) September 29, 2025

Now, the Titans are banking on their chance to get the better side of that rivalry. There's another source of motivation for Saleh to beat the Jaguars every chance he gets. When he inherited the New York Jets roster, it was right after the 2021 NFL Draft.

The season before, they had the opportunity to land the No. 1 pick, and with it, the consensus top prospect, Trevor Lawrence. New York would go on to win two straight games in Weeks 16 and 17, allowing Jacksonville to leapfrog the Jets in the draft order and come away with T-Law.

One of the primary reasons for Saleh's struggles with the Jets was his decision to give up on Sam Darnold and start over with BYU's Zach Wilson at quarterback. He has to wonder if his career in New York would have panned out differently if he had the No. 1 pick at his disposal and Lawrence instead of Wilson.

He was able to lead the Jets to two 7-10 seasons despite Wilson's poor play. In Saleh's mind, T-Law might be a representation of regret and missed opportunity. He'll try to take it out on Jacksonville twice a year moving forward.

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