Returning defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said his loyalty to the 49ers is a product not just of the chance they initially provided him in 2017 but in how they stuck by him when his first two years as coordinator didn't go well.

Saleh was the 49ers' defensive coordinator in 2017 and 2018. San Francisco's defense struggled in both years, finishing 25th and then 28th in scoring. But the 49ers enjoyed a vast improvement in 2019 (No. 8) en route to the NFC title.

Robert Saleh once again is tasked with reviving the San Francisco defense following a rough season when the Niners struggled to slow down opposing offenses. The main difference this time when Saleh returns for a second stint as Niners defensive coordinator following an unsuccessful run as head coach of the New York Jets is the talent that he inherits.