Could the owner of the New York Jets fire Robert Saleh if the team gets off to a rough start in the first half? A Gang Green insider reveals new insight on how the Jets bosses view in-season head coach firings.
The Jets head into the Week 2 schedule with a 0-1 record after suffering a dominant loss on the road to the defending NFC champion 49ers. On Sunday they will again be on the road but have a far more winnable matchup against the Tennessee Titans. They are a sizable favorite so a loss would be a major upset.
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An 0-2 start in 2024 would reignite a debate that raged for much of 2023. And that is on whether Robert Saleh should remain the New York Jets head coach. In three seasons he has an 18-34 record but was given a pass by ownership last season due to a season-ending injury suffered by Aaron Rodgers in Week 1. Yet, a slow start with Rodgers and a very talented roster would be a big problem.
The Raiders firing Josh McDaniel midway through 2023 and installing Antonio Pierce as their new head coach galvanized that team to a strong finish and big hopes in 2024. Maybe the same or better could happen if the Jets make the same decision. However, SNY NFL insider Connor Hughes says the New York owners are extremely unlikely to make such a decision.
Robert Saleh record (New York Jets): 18-34
“The Johnsons just don’t believe in making an in-season change because they do not believe it fixes anything. They also don’t like the message it would send to a prospective new coach that they’re willing to fire people in-season. A 1-2 start would not be ideal, especially considering that means the Jets split with the Titans and Patriots. With that said: It would take a lot more to get Robert Saleh fired.”
Connor Hughes
That should pretty much settle it. The New York Jets would probably need to have a shockingly bad start to force change. A start that would see them have one of the worst records in the NFL. That seems to be the only way their ownership takes the “drastic” step of firing Robert Saleh.
The Jets face the Titans in a 1:00 PM ET game on CBS.
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