LaFleur slyly answers whether Saleh is helping Packers prepare for 49ers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is now in enemy territory.
Saleh is no longer the coach of the New York Jets and instead serves as an offensive consultant for the Green Bay Packers, giving coach Matt LaFleur all the help he can before their Week 12 matchup with San Francisco.
“He’s been helpful,” LaFleur told reporters Wednesday with a smile when asked if Saleh had provided any insight on the 49ers, declining to elaborate.
The former Jets coach joined the Packers in a unique role last month after being fired by New York, offering LaFleur and his offensive unit a defensive perspective on things. And while LaFleur spent three seasons with 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan in Washington from 2010 to 2013, Saleh has more recent experience under Shanahan from 2017 to 2020.
“He’s doing a great job, too,” LaFleur said of Saleh’s strictly offensive role. “He’s always going to give us a nugget. I mean, the plays that we’ve made in games that have been pretty successful come up in the discussion, so he’s been a big asset.”
After the Jets fired Saleh after their 2-3 start to the 2024 NFL season, there was some speculation that he could rejoin the 49ers as the team’s defensive unit struggles with growing issues under new DC Nick Sorensen. But he quickly found a new home in Green Bay, putting those rumors to rest almost as soon as they started.
There’s no telling if Saleh will be at Lambeau Field with the Packers on Sunday. He was at Levi’s Stadium in 1. week when the 49ers handed his Jets their first loss of the season, but LaFleur revealed that Saleh now helps out in Green Bay during the week and spends time with his family on the weekends.
Despite never working under Shanahan at the same time, LaFleur and Saleh bounced back. They were assistants together at Central Michigan in 2004 and worked together on the Houston Texans in 2008 and 2009, with LaFleur also serving as best man at Saleh’s wedding.
Now that they’re reunited, Saleh’s main focus is on helping his new team and his old friend—while doing everything he can to defeat the other.
Download and watch the 49ers Talk Podcast
This embedded content is not available in your region.