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Bill Barnwell, ESPN Staff Writer
When the Jets sleepwalked their way through a frustrating loss to the Vikings in London on Sunday, I thought they might try to reset their season and recapture the optimism they held in the offseason by trading for wide receiver Davante Adams. I underestimated their desperation. On Tuesday, Jets ownership shockingly decided to fire coach Robert Saleh after the team’s 2-3 start while promoting defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich to be interim coach. At this point, Fireman Ed should be looking over his shoulder.
The timing of the move is bizarre. The Jets have been disappointing, but they’re still 2-3 and will be in first place in the AFC East if they beat the Bills on Monday night. As far as I can find, the last time a coach was fired with a .400 or better winning percentage during the first half of the regular season for on-field performance was 1961, when Lou Holtz was fired after a 2-3 start by the Boston Patriots. (Jon Gruden resigned from the Raiders after a 3-2 start in 2021 because of reports that emails he wrote over a 10-year period included racist, misogynistic and anti-gay language.)
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Furthermore, the defense has been the strength of the Jets, who rank fifth in the NFL in expected points added (EPA) per play. Ulbrich undoubtedly deserves some credit for that side of the football as the defensive playcaller, but Saleh’s work in San Francisco from 2017 through 2020 makes it clear he’s a hugely important part of the defensive braintrust. Firing the defensive-minded coach in a scenario in which the offense is clearly lagging behind the defense makes this move even more curious.
And that, of course, brings Aaron Rodgers into the fold. Even before the team traded for the veteran quarterback in spring 2023, the Jets had clearly reshaped elements of the organization in his image. They hired Nathaniel Hackett as their offensive coordinator. They signed Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Tim Boyle in free agency. Now, the organization has fired the head coach, a week after Saleh expressed concerns about whether the team was ready for Rodgers’ cadence and Rodgers responded by suggesting the team should hold players accountable. It appears Saleh might have been the one held accountable instead.
The Jets rank 22nd in EPA per play on the offensive side of the ball. They have more turnovers (four) than touchdowns (two) on offense over the past two weeks. Is Saleh really the problem with this team? Can firing him fix New York’s woes and save its season? Was this the right time to make this move? Let’s take a closer look at Tuesday’s stunning decision, to get a sense of what the Jets are thinking and what it actually might do to their hopes of living up to lofty preseason expectations over the rest of the season.
Jump to a section:
Will this move really fix the Jets’ issues?
Isn’t Saleh responsible for the offense too?
Were there other issues under Saleh’s purview?
Should the Jets have made this move?
Are they actually a bad team?
Should they trade for Davante Adams?
