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After a recent game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Jacksonville Jaguars, a heated exchange took place between 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and Jaguars head coach Liam Coen. The Jaguars won the game 26-21, but the post-game discussion quickly became the focus of attention.
The disagreement seemed to stem from comments Saleh made earlier in the week. During a press conference before the game, Saleh used the term “legal sign stealing” when discussing the Jaguars’ strategies. This phrase apparently struck a nerve with Coen, leading to the confrontation after the game.
Videos circulating online showed Saleh and Coen exchanging words, with Coen telling Saleh to “Keep my name out of your mouth.” The situation appeared tense, and others had to step in to separate the two coaches.
However, both coaches have since downplayed the incident. Saleh addressed the situation with reporters, stating that “It is all good.” He explained that he didn’t intend to cause any offense and that he was genuinely trying to compliment the Jaguars’ coaching staff. “In my heart, I genuinely was trying to give a compliment and I own the fact that I probably used the wrong choice of words,” Saleh said. He acknowledged that his choice of words might have been poor, but he maintained that he respects the Jaguars’ ability to put their players in a position to succeed.
Coen also downplayed the confrontation, saying that it wasn’t “a big deal” and “we’ll keep that between us.”
Saleh went on to praise Coen, saying that he does a “hell of a job.” He further elaborated on his earlier comments about sign stealing, explaining that in the NFL, coaches are always looking for an edge. Teams analyze game footage to understand opponents’ signals and strategies. This is a common practice, and Saleh suggested that the Jaguars are particularly skilled at it.
“As coaches, we’re always chasing leverage,” he explained. “They’re trying to have winning leverage. We’re trying to take leverage away and everyone in the league is trying to find every avenue they can. As a coach watching their tape, I recognize the amount of hours that must be spent to be able to build formations and define every little indicator they can to give their players a chance to be in a successful position. That’s exhausting and every team does it. Some do it better than others and it was my way of acknowledging that these guys are really, really, really good at it. And like I said, Sunday doesn’t change that.”
In the NFL, “sign stealing” refers to the practice of deciphering an opponent’s play calls or signals to gain an advantage. While directly intercepting electronic communications is illegal, analyzing film and observing signals to understand an opponent’s strategy is permitted. Teams often have staff dedicated to this task, both before and during games.
Saleh had previously said that, “Liam and his staff, a couple of guys coming from Minnesota, they’ve got – legally – a really advanced signal-stealing-type system where they always find a way to put themselves in an advantageous situation,” he said. “They do a great job with it. They formation you, they just try to find any nugget they can, so we’ve got to be great with our signals and we’ve got to be great with our communication to combat some of the tells that we might give on the field. They’re almost elite in that regard, that whole entire tree of Sean [McVay] to Kevin O’Connell to all those guys. They all do it.”
The 49ers’ loss to the Jaguars ended their three-game winning streak. Both teams now have a record of 3-1.
