Pulling the Strings 🏈
Saleh’s firing may have been inevitable this season.
The shocking NFL news this week was when the New York Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday. It’s pretty incredible that the defensive-minded coach who just held the 5-0 Vikings to their worst output of the season gets fired after the quarterback threw three interceptions in London to lose the game.
Aaron Rodgers got Robert Saleh fired?
Maybe…
It’s also possible that the Jets looked at the fact that Saleh was 18-33 without Rodgers in 3 years and just got tired of it 🤷#Jetsup | #JetsTwitter | #nflnews pic.twitter.com/e9lV36Rz2K
— BetUS Pro Football (@BetUSProFB) October 9, 2024
It did not take long for fingers to point at quarterback Aaron Rodgers as the mastermind behind Saleh’s firing. It also did not take long for Rodgers to go on Pat McAfee’s Show and play the victim, claiming that it’s patently false that he had anything to do with Saleh’s firing and that he loves him.
“I resent any of those accusations, because they are patently false. It’s interesting, the amount of power that people think I have, which I don’t.”
– Aaron Rodgers on Robert Saleh’s firing
(via @PatMcAfeeShow) pic.twitter.com/5tBeMmdut3
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) October 9, 2024
It is rare for a team to fire a coach this early in the season, especially with a 2-3 record and losses to contenders like the 49ers and Vikings. It’s also not the first time Rodgers has seen his coach fired during the season as it happened to Mike McCarthy in Green Bay in 2018, and we know that relationship soured at the end.
These facts led to former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel calling Rodgers out as a “coach killer” on FS1.
.@EmmanuelAcho: Aaron Rodgers and Robert Saleh got divorced before they had a honeymoon. pic.twitter.com/qtlNB4l0zJ
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) October 9, 2024
These are strong words, but are there not a lot of truth in them?
Why Else Would the Jets Fire Saleh Now?
Was Saleh on the hot seat this year? Absolutely. He got a pass in 2023 for the Aaron Rodgers injury, but he had to win enough NFL games for the playoffs this season.
But the shocking part is the timing with a 2-3 record and a game against Buffalo for first place in the division this Monday night. The NY Jets coach for that game will be Jeff Ulbrich, the defensive coordinator who has been promoted to interim coach.
Notice that they didn’t go with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who coached Denver (poorly) in 2022. There are NFL rumors that Saleh was going to fire Hackett, Rodgers’ buddy from Green Bay, but Saleh was fired by owner Woody Johnson before he could make that move.
That’s just an unconfirmed rumor. Something factually true is that Saleh’s firing came a day after Johnson spoke to Rodgers, which NFL reporter Adam Schefter tried to say had nothing to do with Saleh. Sure, we really believe that.
Jets owner Woody Johnson said he spoke to Aaron Rodgers on Monday night, but it wasn’t about Robert Saleh. Johnson said Rodgers had no input in the decision made this morning.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 8, 2024
Guess they better consult with the quarterback before they hire their next head coach. The Aaron Rodgers contract runs through the 2025 season, so he could be back next year with a new coach.
What’s Next for the Jets?
It does not look like the Jets are going to stand to benefit much from firing Saleh now. After a bad start in San Francisco, his defense has been thriving for the last four games. It’s the offense, and especially Rodgers’ play, that really sunk the Jets in losses to the Broncos and Vikings these last two weeks.
Aaron Rodgers now has as many 3-interception games with the Jets in five starts this year as Zach Wilson had in his 11 starts last season #Jets pic.twitter.com/Nl3rmNp0By
— John Breech (@johnbreech) October 6, 2024
I guess they could land Davante Adams in a trade to reunite him with Rodgers, but does that really look like the cure-all for this offense? By now, Rodgers should have better chemistry with Garrett Wilson, Mike Williams, and tight-end Tyler Conklin.
Saleh’s firing may have been inevitable this season. But whether Rodgers asked for the move or not, his poor start ultimately got Saleh fired by the Jets.
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