49ers DC Saleh Says Liam Coen, Jaguars Have a Legal 'Advanced Signal Stealing System'

San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh discussed the way that Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen is able to figure out the defensive plays called against his team in a legal manner.

"Liam Coen and his staff coming from Minnesota they got legally a really advanced signal stealing system where they always find a way to put themselves in an advantageous situation," Saleh told reporters Thursday (2:50 mark). "They do a great job of it. They formation you to just try to find any nugget they can. We have to be great with our signals, be great with our communication to combat some of those tells we might give on the field."

The 49ers are 3-0 to open their 2025 campaign and will look to stay unbeaten when they host Coen's Jaguars on Sunday.

Coen hasn't been accused of using any illegal methods to steal signals, utilizing pre-snap motions and different personnel packages to see how defenses react and gain more insight into potential coverages instead.

The Jaguars used three personnel groupings and 10 pre-snap motions in 14 plays during their opening drive in a 26-10 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 (h/t Ryan O'Halloran of the Florida Times-Union).

▶️ Full Panthers-Jags Recap

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It wasn't an accident, as increased pre-snap motion was also a feature of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during Coen's tenure as the team's offensive coordinator in 2024.

Jacksonville hasn't blown past expectations to open the 2025 season with its new head coach patrolling the sidelines, but still sits at No. 2 in the AFC South standings with a 2-1 record.

The Jaguars are recording 356.3 yards per game this season, the eighth-most in the NFL. While their average of 23.3 points per game also represents a step up from 2024, it ranks No. 14 in the league this year.

Saleh's defense will still need to stay sharp against the Jaguars and help mitigate the loss of star pass-rusher Nick Bosa, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 3.

Kickoff between Jacksonville and San Francisco on Sunday is at 4:05 p.m. ET.