San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan says he texted former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh after receiving the “surprising” news of Saleh’s firing.

“I texted him but haven’t been able to talk to him yet,” Shanahan told reporters on Tuesday (2:15 of the video below). “I was quite shocked. Things throw you off, especially when they’re competing for first place in the division this week, and I think they’re tops on defense, have a pretty good team and have a chance to have a great year.

“So it was quite surprising.”

Saleh was fired Tuesday after the Jets’ 2-3 start to the 2024 season. He was in the fourth season of the five-year contract he signed with New York in 2021.

Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported that Saleh was “blindsided” by the decision.

Team owner Woody Johnson told reporters Tuesday that he consulted general manager Joe Douglas before firing Saleh, but that he made the decision alone.

Saleh’s dismissal came two days after the Jets lost a 23-17 game to the Minnesota Vikings in London in which New York’s defense put together a strong second half against one of the highest-scoring offenses in the league.

Despite the successes of the Jets defense, Saleh’s specialty after focusing on the unit during previous stints with the Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars and San Francisco 49ers, his inability to control his team’s offense during the international competition contributed to Johnson’s decision. .

Saleh was named the 49ers’ defensive coordinator under Shanahan, whom he had previously worked with on the Texans’ assistant coaching staff.

He helped shape the Niners’ defense during the 2019 season during the franchise’s run to Super Bowl LIV, where they lost the championship to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The 49ers defense is currently led by defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen, who was promoted to the role from his position in 2023 as a defensive specialist, and Brandon Staley, former head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.

If one of the positions opens up, Saleh could potentially be offered another role in San Francisco in the future, although that decision may have to wait until at least 2025. Michael Silver reported Tuesday for the San Francisco Chronicle that Saleh “has no plans to join anyone on the staff during the 2024 season, should an opportunity arise.”