Robert Saleh, Liam Coen move on from 2025 sign-stealing spat: 'That's water under the bridge'

The AFC South coaches are on better terms six months removed from their argument

What looked like a budding rivalry between two rising NFL coaches is now "water under the bridge." Robert Saleh and Liam Coen exchanged barbs last season after the former accused the latter of using an advanced sign-stealing system, and the spat escalated to an on-field altercation in which both coaches dished some expletives at each other. Half a year later, though, they have put the debacle behind them.

Saleh said at the NFL's annual meeting that he and Coen have talked "plenty" in the six months since their argument.

"We're good," Saleh said Tuesday. "I know the NFL probably wants more of a story, but there's no story. I have an appreciation for Liam. Like I said, I used the wrong word when I was trying to give him a compliment. All that's water under the bridge."

Saleh's initial comments came ahead of the San Francisco 49ers' matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The former 49ers defensive coordinator after the game walked back his accusation and said he made a poor choice of words. He clarified that his intention was never to accuse Coen of wrongdoing but rather to put him on a pedestal for his ability to prepare the Jaguars for any and all situations.

Coen has since come to understand the comments came with no ill intent and said he and other coaches, Saleh included, joked about the back-and-forth at this week's meeting.

"We're all finding those edges and those ways to try and motivate your team, motivate yourself, motivate your community," Coen said Tuesday. "We're all doing that on a constant basis. When those things may happen, we joke on them after the fact and when we're here. But we can all appreciate it because we all respect what we're doing and how we're doing it in different ways."

Drama between the two coaches would have made for compelling storylines in 2026. With Saleh taking over as Tennessee Titans coach, he and Coen now share a division and will go head to head at least twice a year. If they have both truly moved on, perhaps they will actually shake hands after their next meeting. Coen snubbed Saleh after the 2025 matchup before turning around to engage in not-safe-for-work banter.

If their history leads to some short fuses in the future, though, the AFC South will be all the more interesting. It is not often one coach tells another that "I will f---ing end your f--ing life." For sportsmanship's sake, the division is better off without that tension. But it sure would be entertaining to see the emotion bubble back to the surface.