Breaking news out of the Big Apple today as the New York Jets fired Head Coach Robert Saleh after three seasons with the team and just five games into the 2024 season. Saleh was 20-36 in his three years with the Jets, sporting a horrendous .357 winning percentage that ranks lowest amongst all former Jets coaches.
The decision to part ways with Saleh was reportedly made solely by owner Woody Johnson and left many in the front office scrambling to pick up the pieces today. Multiple other outlets have reported that Salah showed up for work today like any other regular Tuesday and was then informed by Johnson that his services were no longer needed.
Notably, Saleh also did not address the team or other staff instead he was escorted out of the building by security promptly after he met with Johnson.
"This morning, I informed Robert Saleh that he will no longer serve as the Head Coach of the Jets. I thanked him for his hard work these past three-and-a-half years and wished him and his family well moving forward. This was not an easy decision, but we are not where we should be given our expectations, and I believe now is the best time for us to move in a different direction," Johnson said in a statement.
"Jeff Ulbrich will serve as our Interim Head Coach for the remainder of the season. He is a tough coach who has the respect of the coaches and players on this team. I believe he along with the coaches on this staff can get the most out of our talented team and attain the goals we established this offseason."
Saleh’s firing comes just one day after the Head Coach expressed confidence that his team could turn things around following a two-game losing streak.
"There's so much football to be played," Saleh said Monday. "There's so many things that we can get better at, and there's so many things that we can continue to build on, the things that we are doing well. So, I'm not panicked. Nobody in the building is panicked."
Many fans have noticed the seemingly frosty relationship Saleh had with star quarterback Aaron Rodgers however Rodgers emphasized their friendship and said this was not the outcome he wished for.
As a whole, this Jets team has thoroughly underperformed based on their lofty expectation upon acquiring Rodgers last year. The offense, which was supposed to finally take a step forward with a healthy Rodgers, has been anemic to say the least. Perhaps the nail in the coffin for Saleh however was the regression by the Jets defense this year.
After three years of defending his job by producing some of the league’s top defenses albeit with a poor offense and team record, Saleh’s personally run defense has been abysmal this year, dropping in almost every measurable defensive statistic from last year.
Perhaps the team had just lost faith in Saleh’s ability to lead but only five games into the 2024 season this feels like a fighter throwing in the towel after Round 1. The outcome remains to be seen but a day of hope and sorrow in the Big Apple has left many Jets fans uncertain about the future.
