The New York Jets made the first stunning head-coaching decision of the 2024 season on Tuesday as they reportedly fired Robert Saleh after five games.
ESPN first reported the decision. Jeff Ulbrich will reportedly take over as the team’s interim head coach. He started the season as the Jets’ defensive coordinator.
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Jest chairman Woody Johnson confirmed the decision in a statement.
“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,” the statement read.
Saleh’s dismissal came more than a day after the Jets lost to the now-undefeated Minnesota Vikings in London. The offense has sputtered through the first games with a presumably healthy Aaron Rodgers under center for the team.
New York is 25th in points scored and 27th in yards gained while having a top five defense.
Rodgers has performed like a 40-year-old quarterback who is coming off of an Achilles tear. He has 1,093 passing yards, seven touchdown passes and four interceptions.
It’s unclear what exactly sparked Saleh’s firing. But rumors of a rift between Rodgers and Saleh were sparked after an odd interaction during the team’s win over the New England Patriots in Week 3.
The noise got louder after the Jets lost to the Denver Broncos in Week 4. New York only scored nine points in the game. Rodgers and Saleh both did gymnastics trying to maintain the line that they had a good relationship.
Now, the focus is on the Buffalo Bills for a Monday night game.
Saleh had been the Jets’ head coach since 2021 after spending four seasons as the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator. He was 20-36 as the Jets’ head coach and never won more than seven games while at the helm.
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