49ers' Robert Saleh Says He Was Trying to 'Compliment' Jaguars amid Coen Altercation

San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh addressed his brief verbal altercation with Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen following the Jaguars' 26-21 win over the 49ers on Sunday.

"In my heart, I genuinely was trying to give a compliment," Saleh said, per David Lombardi of the San Francisco Standard. "I own the fact that I probably used the wrong choice of words ... Everyone in the league is trying to find every avenue they can. As a coach watching their tape, I recognized the hours they put in..."

The two coaches exchanged words on the field after the game to a close, which appeared to stem from Saleh telling reporters earlier in the week that Coen and the Jaguars offense had a legal "signal-stealing system."

"They formation you to just try to find any nugget they can," Saleh said at the time. "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."

Coen declined to discuss the specific details of the incident after the game.

"Not a big deal," Coen said, via ESPN's Nick Wagoner and Michael DiRocco. "Just keep that between us."

Meanwhile, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan wasn't too concerned about the situation.

"I don't think you should be that sensitive about it, but it is what it is," Shanahan said, via Wagner and DiRocco. "I'm not too worried about it."

"I think Saleh was paying them a big compliment in what they're good at doing," he added. "It's not illegal. He said [there's] nothing illegal about it. I think you use the word sign stealing and what the headlines get with those type of words, I think the perception of that becomes wrong."

The Jaguars secured their latest victory over the 49ers with a strong first half on both sides of the ball, highlighted by a 17-point second quarter. They amassed 325 total yards, which included 151 yards on the ground.

Jacksonville only held a one-score lead late in the fourth quarter, but ran out the clock by picking up a first down after defensive end Arik Armstead stripped 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy on the prior possession.

▶️ Full Jaguars-49ers Recap

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The Jaguars improved to 3-1 with the win, while the 49ers also moved to 3-1 with the defeat.