Stumbling New York Jets reportedly fire head coach Robert Saleh

The New York Jets have fired head coach Robert Saleh after an uneven start to the season. according to ESPN.

The Jets’ loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London on Sunday gave them a 2-3 record. Saleh’s overall record with the Jets is 20-36. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the team’s defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will take charge on an interim basis and lead the Jets for their next game, against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football.

Saleh was seen as a rising star when the Jets hired him in 2021 after a successful stint as the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator. 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. Although Saleh dealt 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 in the NFL, with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft of 2021. .

There were signs of a revival last season when the Jets traded for four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, who, the hope was, could lead a team full of young stars back to the postseason. But Rodgers tore an Achilles tendon on the first drive of the season, ruling him out for the remainder of the season, and the Jets limped to a 7–10 record.

Rodgers recovered in time to start the 2024 season, but at age 40, he is no longer the force he once was and the quarterback had to deny that there was tension between himself and Saleh.

Some may view Saleh’s dismissal as hasty. He was hired because of his defensive mindset, and the Jets are still relatively strong in that area. Although the team is 2-3, they are just one game behind the Bills for first place in the AFC East and Sunday’s loss came against the Vikings, who are undefeated this season.

Team owners Christopher and Woody Johnson now have to look for a new head coach. Jets fans will be forgiven for doubting that the Johnsons will make the right choice: They oversee a team that has missed the playoffs every season since 2010.