Robert Saleh has claimed that the Jacksonville Jaguars are employing a highly sophisticated sign-stealing system ahead of their Week 4 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.
The defensive coordinator for the Californian side emphasized that while the tactics are advanced, they remain legal under NFL rules, distancing himself from the risk of accusations of cheating.
Regardless, the 46-year-old former New York Jets boss detailed how Jacksonville’s own head coach, Liam Coen, and his staff use this approach to gain a competitive advantage on the field.
“Liam and his staff, couple guys coming from Minnesota,” Saleh told reporters. “They’ve got a – legally – really advanced signal-stealing type system where they always find a way to put themselves in an advantageous situation.
“They do a great job of it. They formation you to just try to find any nugget they can. So we’ve got to be great with our signals and we’ve got to be great with our communication to combat some of the tells that we might give on the field.”
Saleh, returned to the 49ers following his departure as head coach of the Jets in October 2024, with a brief stint as an offensive consultant with the Green Bay Packers in the middle.
He noted that this type of preparation is a hallmark of the Sean McVay coaching tree, a man Coen previously served under at the Los Angeles Rams organization.
Meanwhile the Jaguars offensive coordinator, Grant Udinski, also worked under Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota, another McVay protégé.
“They’re almost elite in that regard,” Saleh added. “That whole entire tree from Sean to Kevin O’Connell to all of those guys, they all do it.
“There’s challenges. They’re going to catch us in some situations where they have the advantage and we’ve just got to play sound, fundamental football and do our best to out-execute them.”
What is sign-stealing?
Sign-stealing has a history in professional and college sports, with high-profile punishments handed down to the Houston Astros in Major League Baseball and the University of Michigan football program whilst the NFL had its own drama with Bill Belichick’s Spygate saga.
However, Saleh stressed that what Jacksonville is doing is fully within NFL regulations, relying solely on observation and in-game analysis rather than any prohibited electronic methods.
Saleh described the Jaguars’ approach as the “ultimate trick,” explaining how Coen and his staff capitalize on small signals to create favorable situations.
“Whether it’s people from the sideline,” Saleh added. “Or whether it’s our individual hand signals – whatever nugget they can find, they catch it.
“And they always happen to find themselves in good situations based on the coverages shown.
“And there’s nothing illegal about it. I’m not suggesting that. It’s just, you can tell they have a system that is getting them into a very advantageous position multiple times during the course of a game.”
What time is the San Francisco 49ers’ Week 4 clash with the Jacksonville Jaguars?
Through three games, Saleh’s defense has allowed just 16.3 points per contest, ranking second in the NFL. Jacksonville, meanwhile, has averaged 23.3 points per game, tied for 14th in scoring offense.
The two teams will meet at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday at 16:05 ET/13:05, with both sides aiming to leverage their strengths as the 49ers look to continue a perfect start, whilst the Jaguars look for third win of the season.
Fans can watch the game live via FOX Sports, as well as NFL+ for those streaming or Sirius XM for those keeping in touch via the classic method of the radio.
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