The New York Jets have reportedly let go of head coach Robert Saleh just five games into the 2024 NFL season. According to multiple reports,after the coach got the news, he was escorted out of the building by the team’s security in what analysts and outsiders alike describe as a “dysfunctional” move by the franchise.
The Jets got back from London after their 17-23 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, yet some of the players were eager to do some workouts. They were not aware of the developments until 9 a.m. of Tuesday.
Saleh’s exit is somewhat akin to what happened in 2009, when former Cleveland Browns general manager George Kokinis was also reportedly escorted out after he parted ways with the organization. However, Adam Gase, the Jets’ coach before Saleh, wasn’t escorted out when he was fired.
NBC Sports’ Mike Florio looks at Robert Saleh’s firing as a “power play, plain and simple.”
“For high-level employees of any organization, it’s a bad look. It’s a power play, plain and simple. It’s a stone’s throw from, for example, deliberately mispronouncing the former employee’s last name during the press conference regarding the move,” Florio said.
Robert Saleh started coaching the Jets in 2021. The team never reached the postseason games under his leadership. With his firing, he finished his tenure with the Jets with a 20-36 regular season record overall.
How the Jets players feel about Robert Saleh’s firing
Jets team owners Woody and Chris Johnson addressed the franchise’s leadership council, which includes veteran leaders on the team, explaining why they made the move and why it was the right move. During the meeting, it was announced that the Jets’ defensive coordinator, Jeff “Brick” Ulbrich, will assume leadership as the team’s new head coach.
While the players have utmost respect for Brick, they were surprised at the timing of the decision to let go of Saleh. They felt like the higher-ups should have waited one more week before firing the Super Bowl XLVIII champion coach, considering that if they defeat the Buffalo Bills at home next Monday, they will be right back on track in the AFC East.
Ulbrich was the defensive coordinator for the entirety of Saleh’s tenure with the Jets. The rest of the season will essentially be an audition for Brick, starting with their upcoming game against the Bills. The Johnson brothers will have to see if the Jets can start a winning run under him.
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