Just days after the Seattle Seahawks eliminated the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh agreed to leave San Francisco and become the next head coach of the Tennessee Titans.
Now, the 49ers will have to find a replacement for Saleh, and it appears there’s a favorite for the job inside the building already.
“Gus [Bradley] is the obvious one to everyone, and is to us too,” Shanahan said. “Gus would be the main internal candidate. We feel very fortunate to get Gus and great about that.”
Bradley, 59, joined the 49ers as assistant head coach in 2025. He previously served as a defensive coordinator for four different teams: Seattle Seahawks (2009-12), Los Angeles Chargers (2017-20), Las Vegas Raiders (2021) and Indianapolis Colts (2022-24). He also has head coaching experience, leading the Jacksonville Jaguars to a 14-48 record over four seasons.
San Francisco will need to interview other candidates for the job, but they may still end up hiring Bradley before the 2026 season starts.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Kyle Shanahan reveals top candidate to replace Robert Saleh
Reporting by Mike Masala, Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
