Jets Fire Head Coach Robert Saleh After Three Seasons

The New York Jets are coming off a brutal showing in a loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London this past Sunday.

They fell by the score of 23-17, with future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers throwing three interceptions. Whether he can be seen as the fall guy is not yet known. But head coach Robert Saleh is the first to feel the impact of this loss.

Multiple media reports indicate that the Jets have indeed fired Saleh less than four years into his tenure in New Jersey. NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero was the first to report the huge news. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich takes over on an interim basis.

Jets owner Woody Johnson confirmed the firing a short while later:

“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,” Johnson said in a statement, via the Jets’ official website. “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.”

This is not necessarily the Jets’ brass being reactionary to Sunday’s loss. Saleh entered this season firmly on the hot seat. Johnson made that clear after their 7-10 showing under Saleh last season.

“I’m not a playoff mandate (guy),” Johnson said back in February. “But we have to do a lot better than seven (wins).”

Saleh finishes up his Jets career with an ugly 20-36 record and having failed to lead them to a playoff appearance. He came over to New Jersey after a brilliant run as the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator.

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New York Jets Plans After Firing Robert Saleh

Obviously, a lot of attention will turn to what type of role Rodgers had in the decision to fire Saleh. The future Hall of Fame quarterback joined the Jets ahead of last season. He suffered a torn Achilles mere days into his tenure with the team and did not return to action until Week 1 of this season.

Someone of Rodgers’ ilk will have say in what happens within the confines of an organization that has not been relevant in recent years. At 2-3 on the season and with an offense that has been among the worst in the NFL, the status quo wasn’t working.

Interestingly, the Jets did not go with Rodgers’ hand-picked offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett to replace Saleh on an interim basis. That could very well be a tell that he did not have a huge role in Tuesday’s not-so-surprising decision. Though, Rodgers did throw praise on Ulbrich’s direction after the loss on Sunday.

"They gave up only a few points to that offense that has been ripping everybody up," Rodgers said, via the Jets’ official website. "And they did that without Sauce Gardner for a decent part of the game and without Michael Carter II. So, credit to Jeff Ulbrich and those boys over there. They kept us in the game."

Clearly in win-now mode, at 2-3 start to the season just was not acceptable to the Jets.

Surprisingly, this move comes with the Jets less than a week away from their next game. They are set to host the division-rival Buffalo Bills on Monday. Typically, in-season firings around the NFL are done during bye weeks. New York’s bye isn’t until Week 12. It’s a clear indication that the team viewed Saleh remaining on the sideline as a non-starter.

It’s going to be a difficult next month of football for the Jets. In addition to hosting Buffalo, they are set to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers and upstart Houston Texans. No rest for the weary for new head coach Jeff Ulbrich and Co. That’s for sure.