Robert Saleh walked away from a comfortable spot with the 49ers for another shot at running his own team, but the early signs in Tennessee don’t exactly scream easy road ahead.
The Titans are a rebuilding club and, by most expectations, won’t be in the hunt this season. Saleh also isn’t inheriting a clean slate. He’s taking over quarterback Cam Ward from the previous regime, and while Ward has obvious ability, there’s still plenty of uncertainty about whether he can grow into a legitimate NFL quarterback.
That matters, because no team can get very far without at least competent play under center. Ward’s 2024 season was decent enough on paper - roughly 60 percent completions, 3,169 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions - but that’s still a long way from settled.
So far this preseason, Tennessee’s offense has looked shaky. Ward struggled in the preseason opener against the 49ers a few weeks ago, then was a little better Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, though he still lost the ball on a strip because of poor ball security.
Saleh’s best path forward appears pretty clear: build the defense into one of the league’s best and hope Ward and the offense can at least be average. That’s the formula if Tennessee is going to make any real progress.
But if it goes sideways, the decision to leave San Francisco could look a lot worse in hindsight. Reporter Tim Kawakami said on social media that people inside the organization believed Saleh should have been more careful about taking another head coaching job, and that there had been hope he would be patient and wait for a better opening.
The stakes feel pretty high from here. This may be Saleh’s final chance to lead a team, since the NFL usually gives coaches two opportunities, and a third is a rarity if both tries fall short.
For now, the best-case scenario is simple: Saleh succeeds in Tennessee. If not, he at least knows he could always find his way back to the 49ers if this second head coaching stint doesn’t go much better than his first with the New York Jets.
In Other News...
49ers Owner Jed York Arrest Case Just Got Even More Damaging
Jed Yorks arrest in Ohio has remained a jarring off-field story for the 49ers, not just because it involved the teams principal owner and CEO, but because of where it happened and why authorities were there. The case stemmed from an operation targeting human trafficking, and the early charge of prostitution was later amended to disorderly conduct before York also entered a no-contest plea to possessing criminal tools.
The legal fallout has only added to the embarrassment around the episode. York was sentenced to two days in jail and fined $1,150, and the $160 in cash seized during the arrest was forfeited to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, leaving the matter as another unwelcome headline for a franchise that would rather keep the focus on football. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Owner Jed York Now Faces A Serious NFL Question
A legal issue involving 49ers owner Jed York has now crossed into NFL territory, turning what began as an arrest in East Palestine, Ohio, into a league matter with potential fallout for one of the most visible figures in the organization. York later pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors, disorderly conduct and possession of criminal tools, and was sentenced to two days in jail with credit for one day served, along with a $1,150 fine.
For the 49ers, the bigger question is not the court outcome so much as what comes next from the league office. The NFL can still weigh whether Yorks case warrants discipline under its Personal Conduct Policy, which could put the teams ownership under an uncomfortable spotlight at a time when league scrutiny on behavior off the field remains as serious as ever. [Read more 🡒]
Jed Yorks Arrest Just Put Unwanted Focus On 49ers Leadership
The 49ers leadership suddenly found itself under a harsh spotlight after owner John Jed York was arrested in Ohio on suspicion of engaging in prostitution. York later entered a no-contest plea to misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and possession of criminal tools, turning what might have been a fleeting legal matter into a public issue for one of the NFLs most visible ownership figures.
York was sentenced to two days in jail, fined and ordered to forfeit cash that was seized. He posted bond and appeared in court, while neither his legal team nor the 49ers offered an official comment, leaving the organization to absorb the attention without a public explanation from the top. [Read more 🡒]