FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- In the aftermath of the San Francisco 49ers' 2019 NFC Championship Game victory, Robert Saleh celebrated in the locker room by posing for a picture with the George Halas Trophy and a "Mobile to Miami" T-shirt -- Senior Bowl to Super Bowl. The then-defensive coordinator was part of the 49ers' staff that had coached the college all-star game 12 months earlier, the unofficial start of their memorable journey.
Saleh is back in Mobile, Alabama, next week to lead the New York Jets into a coaching assignment they haven't had since 1979, when they discovered a small-school pass-rusher named Mark Gastineau, now a member of the team's Ring of Honor.