The New York Jets have fired head coach Robert Saleh after an uneven start to the season.
The Jets’ loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London on Sunday left them with a 2-3 record. Saleh’s overall record with the Jets is 20-36. The team’s defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbrich, will take charge for the rest of the season, and will lead the Jets for their next game, against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football.
“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,” Jets co-owner Woody Johnson said in a statement.
“Jeff Ulbrich … 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 was seen as a rising star when the Jets hired him in 2021 after a successful spell as defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. Saleh, who is of Lebanese descent, was also the first Muslim head coach in NFL history. He helped turn the Jets into a defensive force but was unable to do the same for their offense, which struggled due to poor quarterback play as the Jets finished last in the AFC East in his first two seasons. While Saleh had to cope with six different starting quarterbacks during his time with the Jets, he was also part of the leadership team when New York selected Zach Wilson, who has struggled badly in the NFL, with the No 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft.
There were signs of a revival last season when the Jets traded for four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers who, it was hoped, could lead a team packed with young stars back to the postseason. But Rodgers tore an achilles tendon on the first drive of the season, ruling him out for the rest of the campaign, and the Jets limped to a 7-10 record.
Rodgers recovered in time to start the 2024 season but, at 40, he is no longer the force he once was and the quarterback was forced to deny there was tension between himself and Saleh.
Some may see Saleh’s firing as hasty. He was hired for his defensive mind, and the Jets have still been relatively strong in that department. Although the team are 2-3, they are only one game behind the Bills and could claim first place in the AFC East if they beat Buffalo on Monday. Sunday’s loss came against the Vikings, who are unbeaten this season.
Team owners Christopher and Woody Johnson must now look for a new head coach. Jets fans will be forgiven for doubting the Johnsons will make the right choice: they oversee a team that has missed the playoffs every season since 2010.
Saleh had attracted attention after he wore the Lebanese flag on his sleeve during Sunday’s game after the country experienced Israeli airstrikes.
