Jets fans have been starved for success, still waiting for the team’s first winning season since 2015, which was preceded by four more losing seasons without a winning record.
So, with a new regime taking over in head coach Robert Saleh and another hyped rookie quarterback in Zach Wilson, will Gang Green finally get back to the playoffs?
Not so fast, as Saleh made sure to settle expectations heading into his first year as head coach.
“While the fanbase and all that stuff is greatly appreciated…at the same time it’s not something that’s gonna push us into making a mistake that affects the longevity of this organization,” Saleh said.
While New York made multiple moves this past offseason to try and turn the tide after a two-win campaign last year, the hopeful turnaround likely won’t be an immediate one. So, while Jets fans are growing impatient to finally watch a winning team, this year will likely be one focused on development of a young core that hopes to eventually provide that fanbase with a consistent winner.
“It’s appreciated,” Saleh said of the demands of the fans. “Obviously we embrace the urgency at which everybody wants to win, but at the same time, that can affect your decision making for the long haul, with the goal of winning championships for extended periods of time.”
Saleh’s mindset was reflected with the release of cornerback Bless Austin on Wednesday, as Saleh said he wants to get some younger guys a look in the secondary to start the season. New York will be loaded with youth in 2021, and as a result, fans will likely have to wait another year or two before the organization’s vision comes to fruition.
The team can only hope that by then, if it indeed unfolds the way they anticipate, that it will have been worth the wait.
“That urgency in the past has led to spurts of success, and lengths of failure,” Saleh said. “We're trying to get that reversed to where have long, long runs of success.”
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