The San Francisco 49ers could face a tough challenge if the Jacksonville Jaguars hire defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as their new head coach. Saleh

Football legend Deion Sanders' retro Nike sneakers are dropping in an NFL-inspired colorway on January 24, 2025.

The San Francisco 49ers’ list of potential defensive coordinator candidates appears to be short, and it got shorter Saturday when NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero reported the Atlanta Falcons were set to hire Jeff Ulbrich as their new defensive coordinator.

Now back for his second stint calling plays for the Atlanta Falcons' defense, coordinator Jeff Ulbrich is different -- but similar in important ways.

The San Francisco 49ers will look different next season. And maybe not just a little bit. After the firing of defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen, coach Kyle Shanahan and Co. are looking for new leadership on the defensive side of the ball.

The San Francisco 49ers have targeted Robert Saleh to return to the team and fill their defensive coordinator vacancy, but his status becomes more in question as the Jacksonville Jaguars have requested a second interview with him.

Potential 49ers defensive coordinator candidate Jeff Ulbrich was hired by the Atlanta Falcons for the same role.

The Atlanta Falcons have met with six candidates for their defensive coordinator vacancy, interviewing former NFL head coach Steve Wilks and Pittsburgh Steelers secondary coach Grady Brown on Friday.

The Atlanta Falcons' search for a defensive coordinator now includes a former interim head coach for an NFC South Division rival.

Lake had never been a defensive coordinator or a defensive playcaller prior to 2024. It's likely that the Falcons bring in someone with more experience doing that job this offseason. Former Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo will also be interviewed, per an NFL Network report.

The Falcons have interviewed Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale and have another scheduled with former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo this week. Stay up to date with each reported interview using our Falcons defensive coordinator tracker.

Cleveland would sprint to the podium to draft Sanders, who might be an ideal fit in head coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense. You can’t go into 2025 with Cleveland’s QB situation as bad as it is, and Sanders’ accuracy and ability as a distributor over the middle of the field make him a perfect pick.