San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh opened up on the impact that his firing last season had on him.

Last season, expectations were high for Saleh – who was head coach of the New York Jets and was tasked with leading a highly talented roster to its first playoff appearance in over a decade.

Instead, the Jets suffered from poor offensive play and Saleh was axed by owner Woody Johnson just five games into the season.

After being dropped, Saleh was offered a consultant position with the Green Bay Packers by their coach Matt LaFleur.

Doing so provided Saleh with clarity and a way to work through all the problems he experienced in New York.

‘Yeah, you know I joke with Matt, I think it was more therapy for me than I was a help for him,’ Saleh told reporters on Thursday.

49ers DC Robert Saleh revealed how a lifeline job helped him recover from his firing last year

Packers coach Matt LaFleur hired Saleh as a coaching ᴀssistant for the rest of the 2024 season

That came after a dismal start to 2024 for Saleh’s New York Jets (pictured: Aaron Rodgers)

‘But it was just trying to give him a defensive perspective regarding, looking from an offensive standpoint, watching the defense. Giving them thoughts on rules and what may or may not work. 

‘But I’m, again, forever grateful to Matty for opening the door to his building and allowing me the opportunity to work there just because of the, well, from a mental space.

‘It was, like I said, more therapeutic than anything for me.’

Saleh was hired as the Jets head coach from the 49ers when he was their defensive coordinator the first time.

Little was expected of him in his first season as the Jets just drafted their ‘quarterback of the future’: Zach Wilson.

A 4-13 season was followed by improvement in 2022 – as the Jets jumped up to 7-10 thanks in part to Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson and Defensive Rookie of the Year Sauce Gardner.

Expectations were raised when the Jets went out and pulled off a thought-to-be mᴀssive trade for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. However, the former Packers QB got injured just a few plays into his first season.

If anything, it’s a testament to how good of a coach Saleh is when the Jets still managed to go 7-10 despite losing their top quarterback.

Saleh’s tenure in New York showed marginal improvement over two years with Zach Wilson

Trading for Rodgers was supposed to boost the Jets chances, but injuries derailed the 2023 season. The 2024 campaign went horribly and Saleh was fired after just five games.

Saleh has since returned to the Niners job he used to have, but says the Jets head coaching gig provided plenty of opportunities for him to learn and move forward in his coaching career

So, with Rodgers healthy for 2024, many believed the Jets would make a run at their first playoff appearance since 2010. 

Instead, they struggled out of the gate and finished 5-12.

While that roller coaster of emotions and expectations could be disorienting for any coach, Saleh says that time away from the experience has given him the lessons learned

‘You learn a lot,’ he said. ‘I’ve said it before, there is no handbook for a first-time head coach,’ Saleh said. 

‘There’s no handbook for your first time going through life, right? You learn a lot through the process. You figure out a lot about yourself. 

‘You understand and pick up, if you look inward and you look in the mirror you can identify some of the things that you did wrong and some of the things that you’d like to do differently.

‘But yeah, there’s, anytime you get an experience that’s different than the ones you’ve always experienced, you have an opportunity to grow. And so, there’s been a lot of self-reflection and growth in that regard.’