San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh made headlines last week when he pointed out what he called a “really advanced signal-stealing-type system” in his assessment of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offense. After a heated postgame spat with Jaguars coach Liam Coen, who took exception to Saleh’s apparent accusation, he quickly walked back his comments.

Saleh emphasized that he was intending to compliment the Jaguars on their thorough preparation and ability to adapt to opposing defensive strategies.

“It’s all good,” Saleh remarked on Tuesday, emphasizing he meant to express admiration despite his choice of words being unfortunate. “In my heart, I genuinely was trying to give a compliment.”

He acknowledged that there’s nothing illicit about the Jaguars’ methods, as such preparation is commonplace in the NFL, where teams leverage broadcast footage and film analysis to decode opponents’ strategies. However, filming signals from unauthorized zones, like sideline areas, remains prohibited.

“As coaches, we’re always chasing leverage,” Saleh noted, explaining that all teams aim to gain the competitive edge.

The topic of sign stealing is particularly sensitive in football following scandals, such as one involving Michigan, which came under scrutiny for employing an intricate scouting scheme.

“Clearly, I misworded my comments,” Saleh admitted. “If I had referred to ‘film study,’ we wouldn’t be discussing this. However, I used ‘signal stealing’ and that choice of words was unfortunate.”

The altercation occurred after the Jaguars triumphed over the 49ers, culminating in Coen avoiding a handshake and engaging in a verbal exchange with Saleh, in which the latter reiterated his intent was to praise Coen’s work with the Jaguars.