SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Tensions rose between San Francisco’s defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and Jacksonville’s coach Liam Cohen following a game marked by accusations of “legal” sign-stealing.
After a close 26-21 victory for Jacksonville on Sunday, Cohen was spotted shouting at Saleh, needing to be restrained by offensive lineman Robert Hainesey. In a video shared by Action Sports Jax, Cohen was heard saying, “Please remove my name from your mouth.”
During a post-game interview, Cohen downplayed the situation, remarking, “It’s not a big deal. I’m going to protect it between us now. That’s all.” Yet, the heated exchange clearly suggested otherwise, as both coaches were visibly upset while exiting the field. Saleh even referred to Cohen’s staff as “elites” in the art of legally stealing defensive signals.
When asked about the incident later in the week, Cohen avoided the media, but his player noticed the drama and seemed motivated by it. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence said, “I’ll use whatever I can. If you’re trying to give me free fuel, you take it. But, at the end of the day, you have to play the game, which doesn’t really matter.”
Saleh mentioned on Thursday that many coaches from Minnesota’s Sean McVay and Kevin O’Connell are adept at sign-stealing. Cohen had spent four years on McVay’s Los Angeles staff, and Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinsky has also worked with O’Connell for the past three seasons.
Saleh elaborated, noting, “They have legally, very advanced sign theft systems. They always find a way to put themselves in their favor. They do a great job with it. So we need to be good at our signals and communications to counter some of the signals we might signal on the field. They’re pretty much elite in that regard.”
Niners coach Kyle Shanahan suggested that Saleh might be trying to undermine the Jaguars’ staff but felt that using terms like “sign and steal” could be misinterpreted. Shanahan, who didn’t witness the post-game interaction, mentioned that Cohen should not be overly sensitive about the remarks.
“I don’t completely care if the coach is checking off; it doesn’t affect the game,” he stated. “Saleh has a big mouth about what they are good at. There’s nothing illegal about that. He used the word ‘stealing the sign’ and was perhaps too loose with it.”
Jaguars defensive lineman Arik Armstead, who previously played under Saleh for four seasons, expressed that the feud isn’t significant. “I know that coaches are competitive,” he noted. “They are both great coaches, and obviously both are fiery. I really don’t know what it is about.”
