According to a recent report by Zack Rosenblatt and Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Jets head coach Robert Saleh wasn’t always the overly optimistic leader that came across publicly during another lost season for Gang Green.
Per The Athletic’s report, not only did Saleh lament in the belief that his team received more negative press than the rival Giants, but would “wonder aloud” if he was doomed to wind up like Vic Fangio, a head coach that constructed an elite defense, only to have his head coaching career derailed by injured quarterbacks. Saleh even reportedly went as far as to research how some of the top head coaches in the game fared when losing their starting quarterback, and believed it would take a “miracle” to lead the Jets to eight wins with Zach Wilson under center.
Saleh reportedly wished for Aaron Rodgers or Woody Johnson to publicly voice their support of the head coach for 2024, worried that his job wasn’t safe. He eventually got that endorsement from Rodgers, and Johnson publicly declared his job safe despite another season with double-digit losses.
The culture Saleh created within the Jets came under fire when it was reported that Wilson was reluctant to take back the starting job later in the season, which led Rodgers to declare on the Pat McAfee Show that the “leaks” from within the organization needed to be squashed. Saleh, according to The Athletic’s report, responded by gathering his staff for a meeting and even threatened to take their cell phones to find out who was the leak.
“If you come forward now, you won’t get in trouble,” Saleh reportedly said.
Saleh was then endorsed by Rodgers and given his assertion of job security from Johnson, easing tensions for the time being. But there is no question that Saleh will begin next season on the hot seat, as he and the rest of the Jets will rest their hopes on Rodgers staying healthy in his age-40 season.
