A couple years ago, the 49ers probably could have had whichever defensive coordinator they wanted. Now that job might not be so desirable.

The San Francisco 49ers appear to have their sites set on former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as their No. 1 option in their search for a new defensive coordinator.

The 49ers announced the completion of interviews with former Jets' head coach Robert Saleh and Lions' passing game coordinator Deshea Townsend

Initially, this would have been about how Nick Sorensen should keep his spot as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator despite his shortcomings and the defense’s late-season collapse. I would have defended this angle by mentioning how,

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan gave Saleh his first defensive coordinator opportunity in 2017 during Shanahan’s first season at the helm in San Francisco. Saleh struggled out of the gate, but turned into one of the NFL’s best defensive coordinators and wound up getting a job as the Jets head coach after the 2020 campaign.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers fired defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen after just one disappointing season, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the move hadn’t been announced.