Group of Michigan legislators ask Lions owner to hire Robert Saleh as HC

It appears Robert Saleh has a small political backing to lead an NFL squad.

A group of Michigan legislators sent a letter to Detroit Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp asking her to hire the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator as the team's next head coach.

"We understand the difficulty of these upcoming decisions," they wrote, according to the letter ESPN's Michael Rothstein obtained. "As passionate and loyal Lions fans, we are asking you to hire Robert Saleh as the head coach of our team. ... A head coach like Robert can bring tremendous energy and heart to the franchise and would help us reach peaks that have seemed unobtainable for so long. We have an exceptional opportunity here and we trust you to make the best decision.

"To turn the corner and become a winning franchise, these next hiring decisions are critical. We hope that you will consider Robert Saleh as the head coach, not only for us, but for everyone across the loyal fan base of our beloved Detroit Lions."

Rep. Abdullah Hammoud and his staff authored the letter. It also thanked Hamp for firing general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia last week.

Saleh hails from Dearborn, Mich., and he played college football at Northern Michigan. He's led the 49ers' defense since 2017.

Despite dealing with a number of injuries in 2020, San Francisco ranks sixth league-wide in total defense. Saleh's unit ranked second last season, and it played a major role in the franchise reaching the Super Bowl.

Patricia was relieved of his duties after amassing a 13-29-1 record in two-plus campaigns.

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