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Packers Coaching Consultant on Verge of Landing New Job

Robert Saleh is expected to become the San Francisco 49ers' new defensive coordinator.
ByJovan Alford|
Jan 12, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Green Bay Packers defensive end Lukas Van Ness (90) waits in the tunnel against the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC wild card game at Lincoln Financial Field.
Jan 12, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Green Bay Packers defensive end Lukas Van Ness (90) waits in the tunnel against the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC wild card game at Lincoln Financial Field. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur surprisingly hasn’t had much turnover on his coaching staff since the season ended a couple of weeks ago. With Tom Clements retiring, the Packers must find a new quarterbacks coach.

Green Bay is also searching for a new defensive line coach after parting ways with Jason Rebrovich. In addition to those two moves, LaFleur is also losing Robert Saleh, who has reportedly landed a new opportunity for next season.

According to The Athletic, the San Francisco 49ers are expected to hire the Packers coaching consultant as their defensive coordinator. This will be Saleh’s second stint in San Francisco as their DC, which he previously held for four years (2017-20).

The 45-year-old Saleh was rumored to be a contender for the 49ers defensive coordinator job after San Francisco parted ways with Nick Sorensen earlier this month. Over the last few weeks, Saleh has interviewed for multiple head coaching vacancies (Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Las Vegas Raiders). 

The New York Jets fired Saleh in October after spending 3.5 years as the head coach. Saleh finished his tenure in New York with a 20-36 record. After being let go by the Jets, the former head coach linked up with LaFleur and joined his staff as a coaching consultant in late October.

The former Jets head coach helped the Packers with their offensive game plan and provided his defensive insights to Green Bay’s offense. It wasn’t shocking to see LaFleur bring Saleh to Green Bay as they are close friends.

Nevertheless, this is a good opportunity for Saleh to get back on the sidelines and boost his head coaching stock for the 2026 season. 

The Packers do not play the 49ers next season, so the two friends will not play each other. However, you cannot rule out the possibility that they will see each other in the playoffs.

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