Sports

Robert Saleh Goes Viral for Bizarre Nutrition Rule at Titans' Facility

The Tennessee Titanshired Robert Saleh as head coach in January, and he has wasted zero time instilling a new culture in Nashville.

When free agency opened in March, Saleh and the Titans went to work, rebuilding one of the least talented rosters in the NFL. All told, the Titans spent the most of all 32 teams in free agency, per Spotrac.

The 2026 NFL Draft came at the end of April, and Tennessee made another splash move by selecting former Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate with the fourth overall pick. After second-year quarterback Cam Ward was taken care of, Saleh was given the green light to add to his defense and took former Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk.

Those big moves will take up most of the oxygen when analyzing Saleh’s first offseason in Tennessee, but a very minor adjustment went viral Thursday.

Saleh met with the media after the Titans’ voluntary OTA on Thursday and responded to a question about the franchise-wide dietary changes he wanted to make.

“One of the first things, I think, we did here is get rid of all the seed oils in the building, which I think the players appreciate,” Saleh said. “I know [Titans owner] Ms. Amy [Adams Strunk] has allowed us to attack the budget and get the players better variety. I’ve been in six different buildings, and I’d put this staff up there with the best of them. The product they put out in the cafeteria daily is outstanding.”

Saleh’s ban on seed oils had mixed reactions on X, as seen here. All-Pro veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who remains a free agent, threw his support behind Saleh, though.

“Beef tallow only!” Hopkins wrote. “Been preaching for years. @VacaChips is one of the best products, along with others, leading the way. Inflammation reducer!”

Saleh started his NFL coaching career as a defensive intern and later as a defensive quality control coach for the Houston Texans in 2005, then moved on to become the Seattle Seahawks’ defensive quality control coach from 2011 to 2013. He served as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ linebackers coach from 2014 to 2016 before his first stint as the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator from 2017 to 2020.

His first head coaching job was with the New York Jets from 2021 to 2024, and he posted a 20-36 record. The Jets are the Jets, however, so it’s impossible to judge his capabilities as a head coach from that stint alone.

Saleh returned to San Francisco as the defensive coordinator last season and, as the team surprisingly went 12-5, he worked miracles with an injury-depleted roster. Maybe it was the absence of seed oils.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 8:22 PM.

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