The New York Jets once again demonstrated that they are one of the most dysfunctional organizations in the NFL, by firing Robert Saleh as head coach just after the fifth week of competition.
The Jets had high hopes for this season thanks to good draft picks in recent years, a solid defense, and the presence of Aaron Rodgers as quarterback. But after Sunday's defeat in London against the Vikings, the New York team fell to a 2-3 record, and the team owner decided to part ways with Saleh, who had a negative record in his three seasons as head coach.
"This morning I informed Robert Saleh that he will not continue as head coach of the Jets. I thanked him for his hard work over the past three and a half years and wish him and his family the best moving forward. This was not an easy decision to make, but we are not where we should be given our expectations. And I believe this is the time to move in a different direction," wrote owner Woody Johnson in a statement released by the team.
Saleh's bad numbers
Saleh finished 20-36 as the Jets' head coach, eager to end the NFL's longest active playoff drought, of 13 seasons.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has taken over as interim head coach until the end of the season, as reported by the Jets.
This is the first time in the 25 years that Johnson has been the team owner that a coach is fired in the middle of the season.
Did Saleh have a bad relationship with Rodgers?
Although it was not the dream start, the Jets are just one game behind the Buffalo Bills (3-2), the leaders of the AFC East Division.
The unexpected decision was made one day after Saleh expressed confidence that quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the team were capable of turning things around after losing two games in a row.
In London, Aaron Rodgers threw three interceptions and played very poorly, which is not Saleh's responsibility.
The Jets' surprising decision fueled speculation about the strained relationship between Robert Saleh and Aaron Rodgers, the 40-year-old veteran. A-Rod arrived in New York in 2023 but only had four snaps in the debut game before tearing his left Achilles heel, causing him to miss the rest of the season.
During the 2024 preseason, Saleh fined Rodgers in June for missing training sessions due to a trip to Egypt, and in the victory against the Patriots, the television broadcasted nationwide when the quarterback pushed the coach away when he tried to hug him after scoring a touchdown.
According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, the Jets' owner spoke with Aaron Rodgers on Monday night, but he assured that they did not discuss Saleh and that the quarterback did not take part in the team's decision.
In the Packers, Rodgers had a bad relationship with the general manager and even, through his representative, tried to get him fired from the team in 2021.