The Seattle Seahawks did much more than just end the San Francisco 49ers' season. Judging by the latest turn of events, they've also sent shockwaves through the building, as Kyle Shanahan's team will now have to find a new defensive coordinator.
In a somewhat shocking turn of events, the Tennessee Titans hired Robert Saleh to be their new head coach, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport. While Saleh was expected to land another head coaching job at some point, it seemed that the Titans were looking for an offensive-minded coach.
Saleh beat Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy for the job, and he'll now get a chance to redeem himself after his failed stint with the New York Jets. Notably, that's only great news for the Seahawks and the rest of the NFC West.
The Seattle Seahawks won't miss Robert Saleh
Even though Saleh left plenty to be desired as a head coach, his job as a defensive coordinator cannot go unnoticed. He was one of the main reasons why the Niners were able to overcome yet another string of injuries to make the playoffs.
Saleh was instrumental in fixing the defense after a disappointing year under Nick Sorensen's tutelage. And, while Kyle Shanahan usually finds the right guy to fill a position in his coaching staff, there won't be as many prime candidates at this point in the offseason.
The Niners look like a team on the verge of collapse. Their core is aging and brittle, and the payroll is steep. As good a coach as they have and as many stars as they've signed, they would probably be better off pulling the plug and getting back to the drawing board.
Whatever the case, the Seahawks appear to be a team well-positioned to dominate the division for years to come. The Arizona Cardinals will probably be bottom feeders again next season, the Niners have more questions than answers, and the Los Angeles Rams, while always dangerous, will probably lose Matthew Stafford sooner rather than later.
Of course, the Seahawks are also likely to lose one of their top assistants in this hiring cycle. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is reportedly a leading candidate for several head coaching positions, and watching him leave will be a massive blow to this organization.
Even so, it didn't take long before Mike Macdonald proved to be the right guy to lead this team, and with this combination of young talent and veteran leaders, this team won't go away any time soon.