Why John Lynch thinks Brock Purdy is “ready for now” – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

The return of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was a nice reunion for both sides, but how long will the 49ers keep him around? General manager John Lynch visited KNBR Friday to discuss Saleh’s future with the franchise.

“There is a human nature to this whole thing,” Lynch said. “Robert has big aspirations; he always has.”

Saleh was such a vital asset in his first stint for the 49ers that several teams expressed interest as head coach. He was eventually hired by the New York Jets in 2021, only to be fired three years later.

“I don’t want to speak for Robert, but I think he’ll probably be more demanding this time,” Lynch continued. “He’s not going to go coach anywhere.”

The Jets coaching job is a tough situation to be in no matter who you are, so there’s probably some truth behind Lynch’s words. Having a familiar face at defensive coordinator has been a treat for everyone, especially a face that has had so much success.

“He probably wants a really good situation because he has one here,” Lynch said. “We are lucky to have Robert, but at some point you have to understand that you have to allow people to pursue their dreams.”

Being the head coach of one of the 32 NFL franchises is every coordinator’s dream. Now that Saleh is back in head coaching conversations for the second time, perhaps he’ll think a little more before leaving the 49ers.

“Now we can make his stay very attractive,” Lynch said. “We plan to, but we’re lucky to have Robert.”

The 49ers defense sits in the middle of the pack statistically, but a lot of that is due to injuries on that side of the ball. Culture translates to winning, and Saleh’s energy brought back the spark the organization so desperately needed.