Robert Saleh’s Struggles to Continue as 49ers Coach With Kyle Shanahan on Hot Seat, Claims Insider

The 49ers welcomed Robert Saleh as defensive coordinator in January, expecting his arrival would solve their problems completely. San Francisco fixed their locker room vibes after last year’s Super Bowl heartbreak and contract drama with Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams. The atmosphere feels lighter and more positive throughout the building. But injuries continue plaguing the roster just like 2024, exposing dangerous depth issues. Key starters keep dropping, revealing how thin their talent pool really runs. Robert Saleh’s job might be on stake.

Robert Saleh stares at a defensive disaster that’s entirely out of his control. The 49ers’ coordinator inherited a unit stripped of veteran leadership after key departures in free agency. Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, and Charvarius Ward all walked away, taking years of experience with them. ESPN’s brutal assessment Monday captured the reality perfectly: “A lack of experience and depth on defense. Coordinator Robert Saleh has building blocks in DE Nick Bosa, LB Fred Warner, and CB Deommodore Lenoir, but the rest of the defense is essentially one big question mark.” Mixed feelings don’t begin to describe Saleh’s situation — he’s got elite talent surrounded by complete unknowns.

The numbers paint an even uglier picture for Saleh’s rebuild project. San Francisco finished 2024 ranked 29th in points allowed per game at 25.6, and now they’re planning to start six rookies on that same struggling defense. Historical data shows rookies miss tackles at rates between 5-10%, significantly higher than seasoned veterans. These young players struggle against faster opponents and complex blocking schemes that seasoned defenders handle instinctively. Saleh knows what’s coming — more missed assignments, blown coverages, and explosive plays allowed. The mathematical reality suggests his defense will get worse before it gets better.

Nick Bosa remains Saleh’s lone beacon of hope in this defensive wasteland. The elite pass rusher posted 789 defensive snaps with 52 tackles, 9 sacks, and 15 tackles for loss in 2024, proving he’s still a dominant force. But even Bosa can’t cover for six rookies learning on the job every Sunday. One superstar surrounded by inexperience creates a massive burden that no coordinator wants to manage. Saleh’s building blocks — Bosa, Warner, and Lenoir — represent the foundation, but foundations need walls to create structure.

The depth chart behind these starters looks like a college roster rather than an NFL defense. Injuries will expose this lack of proven talent immediately, leaving Saleh scrambling for answers he doesn’t have. Rookie defenders typically allow higher yards-after-contact and struggle to shed blocks quickly, creating cascading problems throughout the unit. Saleh understands his defensive efficiency will suffer as these young players adapt to professional-level competition and schemes. When Robert Saleh’s defensive rebuild crumbles with six rookies learning on the job, the pressure shifts directly to Kyle Shanahan’s doorstep. Now the head coach faces his own survival test – if the defense collapses and Purdy struggles, Shanahan’s hot seat becomes an ejection chair.

Kyle Shanahan’s job security hangs by a thread

Kyle Shanahan’s coaching future just became a high-stakes poker game with Brock Purdy holding all the cards. The 49ers coach enters 2025 knowing his job depends entirely on his quarterback’s bounce-back performance. San Francisco isn’t chasing Super Bowl dreams this season — they’re just trying to avoid complete disaster. Last year’s crushing disappointment left the organization demanding progress, not perfection. But if Purdy stumbles again, Shanahan’s chair gets scorching hot.

The quarterback graveyard haunting Shanahan tells the whole story about his precarious position. Jimmy Garoppolo worked for a while, keeping the coach safe from criticism. Then came the Trey Lance disaster — trading three first-round picks for a player who never materialized destroyed the team’s depth. That catastrophic decision still impacts roster construction today, leaving massive holes throughout the lineup. Only Purdy’s unexpected emergence as the third option saved Shanahan from getting fired already.

Purdy’s contract extension this offseason tied the coach’s fate directly to his quarterback’s success. The 49ers invested heavily in their young signal-caller, believing he could return to his 2023 form under Shanahan’s guidance. But that investment created enormous pressure for both player and coach. Back-to-back disappointing seasons from Purdy would expose Shanahan’s inability to develop quarterbacks consistently. The organization would face serious questions about trusting him with yet another franchise quarterback.

Most head coaches don’t survive four different starting quarterbacks, and Shanahan is approaching that dangerous territory. The 49ers could sacrifice John Lynch instead, keeping their offensive mastermind while finding a new general manager. Or they might decide Shanahan’s quarterback evaluation skills are fundamentally flawed, making him unsuitable for continued leadership. Multiple pathways exist if Purdy fails, but none of them end well for the current coaching staff. Shanahan’s reputation as an offensive genius means nothing if he can’t identify and develop franchise quarterbacks. His survival depends on proving Purdy wasn’t just a flash in the pan.