49ers DC Robert Saleh reveals that former Vikings coaches have a sign stealing strategy that is allegedly used under Kevin O'Connell and Sean McVay

In the NFL, you always try to gain advantages in any way possible. Bill Belichick was notorious for exploiting the rulebook every year and forcing the league to change certain rules. The same New England Patriots were also caught spying on other teams, and the Spygate scandal ended up being a huge deal.

Over the last few years, we've also seen the Michigan Wolverines getting punished multiple times for stealing signs, with them having Connor Stallions travel to other stadiums and film the hand signals on the sidelines. Now, coaches can talk to the quarterbacks in their helmets just like in the NFL.

Former Vikings coaches using sign stealing system

Sign stealing itself isn't illegal, but filming the other team's signs certainly is. Former New York Jets head coach and current San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh revealed that the Jacksonville Jaguars use a legal sign-stealing system, and he referenced the former Minnesota Vikings assistant coaches who joined the Jacksonville Jaguars and current head coach Kevin O'Connell.

"Liam [Coen] and his staff, including a couple of guys coming from Minnesota. They've got a legally advanced signal-stealing type system, where they always find a way to put themselves in an advantageous situation. They do a great job with it," said Saleh. "You try to find any nugget they can. So we've got to be great with our signals, and we got to be great with our communication, and to combat some of the tells that we might give on the field. So they're, they're almost elite in that regard.

"That whole entire tree, from Sean [McVay] to Kevin O'Connell, all those guys, they all do it. So, there are challenges they're going to catch us in some situations where they have the advantage, and we just got to play good, sound fundamental football and do our best to execute."