BREAKING NEWS: 49ers part ways with coach Kyle Shanahan… See more
As the San Francisco 49ers gear up for the 2024 NFL season, they anticipate some competition against familiar faces. The team is set to take on two former coordinators now turned head coaches in Weeks 1 and 16 of the newly-released NFL schedule.
In Week 1, the 49ers are taking on the New York Jets for the first time in four seasons. This year will also be the first time we see the battle of head coach Kyle Shanahan versus Robert Saleh, who was San Francisco’s defensive coordinator during Shanahan’s first four seasons in The Bay. Saleh was hired by the New York Jets after the 2020 season.
In three seasons as the Jets head coach, Saleh has gone 18-33. This season, Saleh is leading a group that is headlined by 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers and the Jets are looking to bounce back after the quarterback suffered a season-ending Achilles tear on the fourth snap of his career in New York.
The team made several impactful moves during this offseason to fortify their offensive line, build upon one of the strongest defenses in the NFL and supply Rodgers with a few more offensive weapons. In free agency, the Jets picked up two-time First-Team All-Pro tackle Tyron Smith, former Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams and Pro Bowl edge rusher Haason Reddick.
Former 49ers defensive players, Javon Kinlaw and Isaiah Oliver, also joined New York in free agency. During the 2024 NFL Draft, the Jets selected Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu with the 11th-overall pick and traded up seven spots for the first pick in the third round to select wide receiver Malachi Corley from Western Kentucky.
