Nick Wagoner
Michael DiRocco
Michael DiRocco
ESPN Staff Writer
Michael DiRocco is an NFL Nation reporter at ESPN and covers the Jacksonville Jaguars. He previously covered the University of Florida for over a decade for ESPN and the Florida Times-Union. DiRocco graduated from Jacksonville University and is a multiple APSE award winner.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The simmering tension over 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s remark earlier in the week about the Jaguars “legally stealing signals” from opponents spilled onto the field Sunday, as Saleh and Jacksonville coach Liam Coen had to be separated amid a heated postgame exchange.
Saleh and Coen, two of the top candidates for the Jaguars’ head coaching job in the offseason, did not initially greet each other at midfield after Jacksonville’s 26-21 win. But Coen circled back toward Saleh as the situation escalated.
Saleh, who exchanged words with Jaguars offensive tackle Walker Little, was held back by a Niners staff member, while Jaguars center Robert Hainsey restrained Coen.
In a video by Action Sports Jax, Coen can be heard shouting, “Keep my name out of your mouth. Keep my name out of your f—ing mouth,” to which Saleh replies in part, “I will f— your world up.”
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After Saleh and Coen left the field, Coen twice declined to provide details when asked about the exchange.
“Not a big deal,” Coen said. “Just keep that between us.”
Saleh is generally not available to talk to reporters after games. Niners coach Kyle Shanahan was asked about the situation and if he believed Saleh’s signal-stealing comments sparked the back-and-forth with Coen.
Shanahan said he tried to clear things up Friday, when he said repeatedly that Saleh was complimenting the Jaguars. Shanahan said he did not see their postgame exchange Sunday.
“I don’t think you should be that sensitive about it, but it is what it is,” Shanahan said. “I’m not too worried about it.”
Asked if he was concerned that Saleh’s words had angered the Jaguars coaches, Shanahan demurred.
“We don’t totally care if coaches are pissed off,” Shanahan said. “It has no effect on the game. I think Saleh was paying them a big compliment in what they’re good at doing. 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.”
Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen said he thought Saleh’s comments might have fired up Coen a bit after the game.
“I’m actually excited that he kind of kept his composure throughout the game,” Hines-Allen said. “And then, at the last minute, ‘Hey, do what you’ve got to do.'”
The only 49ers player in proximity to the Saleh-Coen exchange was defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos, who declined to offer details.
“That’s between them two,” Gross-Matos said. “I ain’t got nothing to do with it. I don’t really know what was going on between them.”
Saleh first mentioned that the Jaguars are good at signal stealing during his weekly news conference Thursday, when he was asked about the biggest challenge that Coen’s offense presents. Saleh repeatedly said what the Jaguars do is legal, but offered more detail on Jacksonville’s approach.
“They’ve got, legally, a really advance signal-stealing type of system where they always find a way to put themselves in an advantageous situation,” Saleh said Thursday. “They do a great job with it.”
“Definitely you use everything you can [for motivation] and if they’re going to give you free fuel, you take it. That’s something that you always do, but at the end of the day you’ve got to go play the game. That stuff doesn’t really matter. You’ve got to go take care of business and execute and find a way to win the game, which we did today.”
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence
Saleh added that other coaches, such as the Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay and the Minnesota Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell, both of whom either worked with Shanahan previously or have worked in Shanahan’s systems, are good at gleaning information from signals.
On Friday, Coen declined to address Saleh’s comments and instead talked about the 49ers’ defense.
Coen did, however, say that trying to figure out what an opponent will do based on what you’re seeing on film and during the game is part of coaching.
“We have kind of typically by formation, by game plan, by working really hard as a coaching staff throughout the week, trying to get indicators by your formation, motion, shift, pre-snap,” Coen said Friday. “Those are the things that you’re trying to do as a coach if you’re trying to put your players in the best position to be successful, whether it’s attacking man or zone coverage with your formations, motions and concepts.”
Despite all of the talk leading up to the game, the Jaguars got the last laugh Sunday, escaping with a win thanks to a plus-four turnover margin.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence didn’t give much credence to the idea of sign stealing helping Jacksonville win Sunday, but he also didn’t deny it.
“Definitely, you use everything you can [for motivation], and if they’re going to give you free fuel, you take it,” Lawrence said. “That’s something that you always do, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to go play the game. That stuff doesn’t really matter. You’ve got to go take care of business and execute and find a way to win the game, which we did today.”
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