On Monday, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch confirmed that three teams have officially requested to interview defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. They are the Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, and Jacksonville Jaguars. While the first two were already known, the last was not. However, the Jaguars' interest isn't unexpected.
Saleh will be a hot name as NFL teams with head-coaching vacancies look to fill those roles. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that Saleh would interview with the Lions on Thursday. Head coach Kyle Shanahan had previously said that his defensive coordinator is meeting virtually with the Falcons today.
"I think Saleh will kill these interviews," Shanahan told reporters via Zoom during a Monday press conference. "I think he'll do a great job."
Saleh has spent the past four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. His injury-ravaged defense was still good enough to rank No. 4 in passing yards allowed, No. 5 in total yards allowed, and No. 7 in rushing yards allowed this season.