49ers' Kyle Shanahan Says He Texted Robert Saleh After 'Surprising' Firing as Jets HC

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan says he texted former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh after receiving the "surprising" news of his firing.

"I sent him a text, but haven't gotten to talk to him," Shanahan told reporters on Tuesday (2:15 on video below.) "I was pretty shocked. Stuff throws you off, especially when they're competing for first in the division this week, and I think they're up there on defense, got a pretty good team and a chance to have a hell of a year.

"So, it was pretty surprising."

Saleh was fired on Tuesday following the Jets' 2-3 start to the 2024 campaign. He was in the fourth season of the five-year contract he signed with New York in 2021.

Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported that the 45-year-old was "blindsided" by the decision.

Team owner Woody Johnson told reporters on Tuesday that he had consulted with general manager Joe Douglas before firing Saleh, but that the decision was his alone.

The departure of the head coach came two days after the Jets lost a 23-17 game to the Minnesota Vikings in London, during which the New York defense put up a strong second half against one of the league's highest-scoring offenses.

Despite the successes of the Jets defense, Saleh's speciality after focusing on the unit during prior stints with the Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars and San Francisco 49ers, his inability to spark his team's offense during the international matchup might have contributed to Johnson's decision.

Saleh was named the 49ers' defensive coordinator under Shanahan, whom he had previously worked with on the Texans assistant coaching staff.

He helped shape the Niners' defense during the 2019 season on the franchise's run to Super Bowl LIV, where they lost the championship to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The 49ers' defense is currently led by defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen, who was promoted to the role from his 2023 position as a defensive specialist, and Brandon Staley, former head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.

If one of the positions opens up, Saleh could conceivably be offered another role in San Francisco in the future, although that decision might have to wait until at least 2025.

Michael Silver reported Tuesday for the San Francisco Chronicle that Saleh "has no plans to join anyone's staff during the 2024 season, should an opportunity arise."