Fred Warner and Robert Saleh
Getty
49ers' defensive coordinator Robert Saleh made a surprising admission on Fred Warner's injury status
When it comes to free agency in the NFL, every team has the opportunity to sign new players. However, with that comes the potential for those teams to also lose players to new teams. This is especially true when the team also loses a head coach whom players loved to play for.
For the San Francisco 49ers, not only did they lose former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh this offseason as he left to become the new head coach of the Tennessee Titans, but the team also lost a veteran defensive tackle. 28-year-old Jordan Elliott has decided to follow Saleh to the Music City. He has signed a two-year deal worth up to $8.5 million with Tennessee, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
San Francisco 49ers Lose a Significant Contributor Along the Defensive Line
Jordan Elliott
GettyDefensive tackle Jordan Elliott leaves the 49ers after two seasons.
Elliott was a key player for head coach Kyle Shanahan along the trenches over the past couple of seasons in the Bay Area. In fact, he started 31 games, including playoffs, across the last two seasons for the team. In 2025, he set career-highs in starts (16), assisted tackles (23), and he notched his first career batted pass.
While he isn’t necessarily an All-Pro player, he is a very solid run defender and brings great size as he stands at 6’3″ and weighs just over 300 pounds. The former third-round pick can clog up running lanes and suffocate quarterbacks on any given play. In Tennessee, he will have the chance to be the right complement to All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.
49ers May Look to Continue to Address Defensive Line This Offseason
John Lynch
GettyGM John Lynch is hoping to win his first Super Bowl as 49ers GM in 2026.
Not only has San Francisco lost multiple contributors on defense this offseason, including Saleh and Elliott, but some of their best defensive players are trying to regain their footing after an injury-plagued season last year. Both Fred Warner (ankle) and Nick Bosa (ACL) are coming off season-ending injuries. New defensive coordinator Rahem Morris will have his hands full as he hopes to return San Francisco to elite form on defense.
But remember, the organization still has over $34 million in cap space and seven picks within the first four rounds of this year’s NFL Draft, which is just over a month away. There is still plenty of time for GM John Lynch and Shanahan to address the defensive line and any other defensive positions.
Fresh off of a 12-win season in 2025 despite battling so many injuries on both sides of the football, the Niners are on the doorstep of Super Bowl contention. Other than All-Pro tight end George Kittle, this team could be fully healthy by the start of the 2026 season. In perhaps the most loaded division in the NFL, San Francisco is looking to field the best possible team. After a recent blockbuster trade that brought future Hall of Fame wide receiver Mike Evans to Santa Clara, it is clear that the organization believes the time is now to go all in to win a Super Bowl.