What Armstead texted Warner after 49ers re-hired Saleh as DC originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The band is back together with the 49ers re-hiring Robert Saleh as their defensive coordinator, but one former bandmate will have to watch the show go on without him from the opposite end of the country.
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Arik Armstead, who spent nine seasons in San Francisco and four with Saleh, revealed his honest reaction to the reunion.
“Fred [Warner] posted a picture with Robert Saleh [on Instagram] after he went back there, and I sent Fred a message, I said, ‘Dang, I’m jealous,’ ” Armstead said Thursday on 95.7 The Game’s “Steiny & Guru.” “Saleh is one of the best coaches I’ve ever played for. He’s truly a special coach. He brings that energy, he cares about his players, schematically, he’s elite. And he has the experience. He’s been around a lot of football, been in a lot of big games and coaching in big moments.”
The 49ers last week officially announced the hiring of Saleh, 45, as defensive coordinator to fill the key spot on Kyle Shanahan’s coach staff.
Saleh returns to the coaching position he held from 2017 to 2020 before he landed a head-coaching job with the New York Jets. While his defensive prowess carried over to New York, leading to records and feats the organization hadn’t seen prior, the team failed to reach its expectations behind quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Saleh ended his Jets tenure with a 20-36 record.
But Saleh endured his most success as an NFL coach with the 49ers, and Armstead explained why.
“The thing I’ve seen, I was with Saleh in 2017 and I’ve known him for a long time, is the ability as a coordinator and a coach to put out fires,” Armstead explained. “There’s going to be teams that try to attack you in new ways and you have to come up with answers. I’ve seen him do that for years. When all these offensive coordinators are throwing all these different schemes at him, he’s been able to adjust.
“And I think that’s the making of a great coach. So, I’m definitely jealous. I love Saleh. But it was great to see him go back to the Bay around some familiar faces and people that love him. So definitely happy for him.”
While Armstead now is on the East Coast with his own team rebrand in the AFC South, he surely will be rooting for Saleh and the 49ers behind closed doors. And, of course, vice versa for the beloved former Niner.
