NASHVILLE – Robert Saleh lost 25 pounds in his first season as head coach of the New York Jets back in 2021, something he attributed to stress, and the rigors of the job.
At the NFL owners meetings this week, a reporter who covered Saleh during his four seasons in New York noted he looks as good – and as big – as he's ever seen him.
So, I asked Saleh about it.
Saleh smiled when hearing the review. And, he acknowledged he feels like he's in a good place in Tennessee – back in the saddle as a head coach, and happy with his health, and his size.
"Right now, I am 230 (pounds)," Saleh said with a smile. "But I'll be a good 240 by camp."
Hired by the Titans back in January, Saleh has two months under his belt as the team's head coach. It's been an offseason of change in Tennessee, where the team has added 21 free agents, and traded for two more players. Saleh has also built a coaching staff.
In less than a week, he'll welcome in his new players when the offseason program begins.
"Can't wait," Saleh said. "We're all set, and we're ready to go. This gap between the end of the season, we miss our players and we're looking forward to seeing them."
Saleh said he's settling into the job with the Titans, and in Nashville, after serving most of the last 10 years of his life either in New York as a head coach (2021-2024) or in San Francisco as a defensive coordinator (2017-2020, 2025). Saleh spent one year, in 2024, as offensive consultant with the Packers.
In Tennessee, Saleh has bought a house with his wife, Sanaa, and the couple's eight kids are settled in school, and in AAU sports.
He has a familiar staff around him, in a city that has embraced him.
Life is good, Saleh said.
"I love it, man," he said. "I am a big family guy and when you look at the Nashville area, it's the Bible belt, it's country music, which there is not a lot of swearing in. Everything has been really good, a wholesome environment to raise kids in. I am really excited about it."
While at the owners meetings, Saleh discussed his morning routine during a break in a conversation about football.
"I don't eat breakfast, I don't drink coffee," he said of the start of his day. "I wake up in the morning and I drink a bottle of water. I walk myself into the gym, kick my butt, go take a shower, and start my day."
Saleh said he will drink coffee after 11 a.m.
Health-wise, his plan was always to get bigger, he said.
After dropping to 205 pounds in New York, Saleh now has a plan to keep the weight on.
"I wake up at 5 in the morning," he said. "I go work out, I lift heavy and eat a lot of protein."
"I am someone who messes with my health all the time," he added. "And I felt like getting nice and big again from a lifting standpoint."
Saleh's primary focus is to help the Titans get better as a football team.
When players report next Tuesday, the building process will begin, and it will continue with OTAs, and minicamps, in the coming months.
Saleh can hardly wait.
"It's really just setting the foundation," he said. "It's Football 101, you're at the beginning of everything and just trying to go step by step, introduce our schemes, introduce the expectations as coaches and as players. Hopefully we can roll into training camp feeling really good about everything."
