San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle issued a bold proclamation ahead of the team re-hiring Robert Saleh as the defensive coordinator. The offseason presents enough opportunity for wild statements, as the action on the field will pick up towards the end of July.
As a result, players like to fill up the space and airwaves with quotes of all forms. Now, when a team brings back a familiar face, beloved on both sides of the ball, that lightens the mood. However, can Saleh live up to the expectations that the tight end set forth?
49ers TE George Kittle Predicts New DC Robert Saleh Will Change Attitudes
When Saleh left the Bay Area to serve as the New York Jets head coach, there was an outpouring of love, respect and admiration from 49ers players. Under his tutelage, the young defense gained confidence, playing an inspired brand of football.
Now that he’s returned after a miserable 20-36 record in New York, Kittle truly believes that Saleh will make all the difference for the defense. The six-time Pro Bowler joined “The Rich Eisen Show” on Monday, June 16, where he touted the coordinator’s return.
“That might be the underlying headline for the Niners, that Saleh’s back in the building,” Kittle said. “He’s really good at his job, and I am really excited that we somehow convinced him to be our defensive coordinator again, because he knows what he’s talking about. He’s inspiring. He gets the boys fired up. And he happens to also be really smart. Violence is coming, I would say.”
In all honesty, the defense performed statistically better without Saleh being there. With DeMeco Ryans and Steve Wilks running the defense, the Niners ranked in the top ten in points and yards allowed for three consecutive years, even reaching Super Bowl 58. The team fired Wilks after the game, even though his defense held the Kansas City Chiefs to three first-half points.
Saleh inherits a unit that will see several new faces. Ourlads predicts that rookies Mykel Williams and Alfred Collins will challenge for starting spots on the line with veteran Bryce Huff, acquired via trade from the Philadelphia Eagles. Similarly, Dre Greenlaw took his talent to the Denver Broncos, as Dee Winters, a speedy third-year linebacker, took over, starting 10 games last year.
The version of the San Francisco defense is not the same as when Saleh left. In fact, any remaining players from his previous quad are at least four or five years older. Blessed with sound defensive instinct and coaching acumen, Saleh can improve the 49ers defense. However, he will need to do so with a mostly new team. Can he transform the group into a threat like Kittle claimed?