Atlanta Falcons fans are clamoring for an offensive-minded head coach to lead a resurgence in Atlanta, but they may have changed their minds. San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh put on a coaching clinic on Sunday night after holding the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles to just 19 points in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
Saleh was showing off, but has led the team well all season. The former New York Jets' head coach led the 49er defense to finish 11th in rushing yards allowed and eighth in rushing touchdowns allowed this season. This was the one weak point in Falcons' defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich's defense that can be improved upon.
Based on Saleh's recent track record and relationship with Ulbrich, it's a no-brainer to at least consider the guy, and it seems like Matt Ryan plans to. Ulbrich was Saleh's defensive coordinator for three seasons in New York before he took over as the interim head coach when Saleh was fired.
Through their full seasons together in New York, they produced a top-four defense in yards allowed twice. In 2024, when Ulbrich took over as head coach after Week five, the Jets were top four again in yards allowed.
Despite an impressive weekend, Robert Saleh's elite defensive mind is not strong enough to earn him the head coaching gig in Atlanta
If he works so with Ulbrich, why not give him a shot? Well, his stint in New York didn't go well. Saleh was 20-36 over just over three seasons and never came close to .500, must less the playoffs. However, the Jets boasted a formidable defense, but never produced close to an average offense.
The current needs of the Falcons are obvious. The 2025 rendition of the Dirty Birds desperately needed help on the offensive side of the ball, not defensively. The Falcons broke the franchise single-season sack record, while rookies stood out all over the field.
Offensively, we still don't have a quarterback of the future, and severely lack playmakers outside of Drake London and Bijan Robinson. The future of the offense remains uncertain, and needs a mind geared toward offensive rebuild, so the only way this works is if he brings Mike McDaniel as his OC.
With that said, Saleh's work molding an elite defense despite injury woes was enough to land him an interview, but he's not the man for the task. Guys like Klint Kubiak, Mike LaFleur, and John Harbaugh would be much better fits to improve the woeful offense.
Saleh has performed well defensively throughout his career, and hiring himwould keep Ulbrich in Atlanta, so it's worth a shot. Outside of this, it's hard to see Saleh becoming the Falcons' next head coach, but the connection is one the front office should take into account.