Falcons Request Interview With Premier Defensive Coach

FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons have reportedly requested to speak with San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. This news was first reported by NFL insider Albert Breer on Thursday morning. 

Despite what has been a bit of a down year for the 49ers, largely due to a swath of injuries, Saleh is still one of the more well-regarded coaches. His team plays in one of the NFL’s best offensive divisions, but still finished in the top half of the league in scoring. 

He also brings head coaching experience to the table, having coached the New York Jets for three seasons between stints with the 49ers. Saleh quickly elevated those Jets teams to the top of the NFL in terms of overall defensive performance. The turnstile at the quarterback position would be more to blame for their eventual parting of ways. 

One interesting aspect of Saleh as it pertains to the Falcons is the presence of Jeff Ulbrich as defensive coordinator. Owner Arthur Blank confirmed that the team would be interested in retaining him during his end-of-season press conference on Thursday, but would not mandate it. 

Before Ulbrich came to Atlanta, he served under Saleh in New York for three seasons before taking over as interim head coach after the Jets fired the now 49ers assistant. There is good reason to believe that Saleh would be open to bringing Ulbrich back, given their relationship and the strong season the Falcons had under his leadership. 

Due to the 49ers playing a postseason game this weekend, the Falcons (or any other team) will be unable to speak with him until next week at the earliest. 

The coordinator said that he would be judicious with his second opportunity to be a head coach, opting to look for what he deems the best fit, but Saleh should be expected to generate plenty of interest during this cycle. 

In the same report from Breer, the Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens (per Schefter), and Arizona Cardinals have also put in requests to speak with the defensive playcaller.

The Falcons are in the thick of a head coaching search, amid several organizational changes, and they have now made several requests for candidates across the NFL. Several candidates are expected to emerge for the team in the coming days and weeks, and Saleh is just the most recent in a long line of candidates that have emerged over the last few days.