Did the Jets make the right move by firing Robert Saleh? What does it mean for Aaron Rodgers?

The New York Jets fired coach Robert Saleh after two straight losses and a 2-3 record this season. Saleh went 20-36 in three-plus seasons with the Jets after a successful stint as defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.

He has continued his impressive record on that side of the ball, as the Jets remain in the top five in the NFL in total defense and currently have the second most yards allowed (255.8 per game) this season.

However, New York is struggling on offense as Zach Wilson, the No. 2 quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft, did not go all-in and the decision to go all-in on acquiring four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers in 2023 did not work out. away. Rodgers missed nearly all of his first season with the Jets due to a torn Achilles he suffered in Week 1 and the 40-year-old has struggled so far this year. The Jets have scored just 26 points in the past two weeks, losing back-to-back games against the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings.

Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will be the interim coach and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett – a close friend of Rodgers – will reportedly stay on despite the problems on that unit so far. (Saleh was reportedly considering firing Hackett earlier this week.) So what does Jets owner Woody Johnson’s decision to dismiss Saleh mean for the team and Rodgers himself? The FS1 people rated it for their quick reaction to the news.

Craig Carton: The Jets are there, but Rodgers is innocent

“Breakfast Ball” host and noted Jets fan Craig Carton believes the team’s decision to fire Saleh could be a sign that the organization is turning the page in the right direction.

“This is like the Jets,” Carton said. “Usually, we get stuck with bad coaches. We get stuck with losing coaches. We get stuck with losing players. This shows that if anyone ever doubted that the Jets are ready to win right now, firing Robert Saleh five weeks into the season at 2-3, playing first place Monday night against the Bills, it shows you that we’re all ready to win right now.”

However, Carton isn’t entirely sure that firing Saleh was the right way to fix the Jets’ problems, thinking the head coach might have been fired for playing quarterback.

“It also shows that the dynamic between Aaron Rodgers and Robert Saleh has not been good, maybe it has never been good,” Carton said. “Now, the question is, who will be the interim coach? Who will be the future coach? Most important of all, will Aaron Rodgers wake up and start playing good football? Because he is the reason Robert Saleh was recently fired. Shame.”

“Here’s the bottom line: Aaron Rodgers is a real snake in the grass. Think about it, if Greg Zuerlein makes a 50-some-yard field goal against the Denver Broncos, bang, that’s a win. If Aaron Rodgers hits an open field goal .Garrett Wilson against the Vikings, bang, that’s a 4-1 cart and in the first place this isn’t Robert Saleh’s defense, but man, Aaron Rodgers I answered this, Batman, how does firing Robert Saleh make the Jets offense better Aaron Rodgers should be fired.”

Meanwhile, Rodgers’ stats rank in the middle of the pack among all quarterbacks. He is 15th in passing yards (1,093), tied for 10th in passing touchdowns (seventh) and 26th in passer rating (81.6). As a unit, the Jets offense ranks 27th in yards (286.6 per game) and 25th in scoring (18.6 points per game).

‘The Facility’ team debates: Was Saleh’s shot fair, and what role did Rodgers play?

Shortly after breaking the news that Saleh had been fired, Emmanuel Acho said on FS1’s “The Facility” that he thinks the Jets firing Saleh was justified.

“I have been saying that there is a problem with Robert Saleh,” said Acho. “We don’t know if Robert Saleh is a good coach. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is very good. I like Robert Saleh as a linebacker coach. I like Robert Saleh as a defensive coordinator. Much, much, much is needed as a head coach. Coach … We know that Robert Saleh is not a great coach, he has not treated us well the Zach Wilson-Mike White situation.

LeSean McCoy, on the other hand, believes New York made a mistake by canning Saleh at this point.

“Except for the Niners game, I wouldn’t be suspicious [Saleh] about anything,” McCoy said. “That last game against the Vikings, they should have won that game. First of all … Rodgers did nothing; he gave them three picks. On defense, however, they had two turnovers, so the only reason you scored is because the defense got you good coverage. What about the Broncos? That’s a gimme game.”

Chase Daniel speculated that Rodgers’ relationship with his coach – which seemed to falter at times on the field – played a role in Saleh’s dismissal.

“Their relationship [Rodgers and Saleh] it’s not good at all, so they think ‘we need to pick someone right now.’ We’re not benching Aaron Rodgers,’ so I wonder if Aaron Rodgers had a say in that,” Daniel commented. “You have to think that something as big as this is happening, there’s something going on behind the scenes Get out.”

Team owner Woody Johnson said in a press conference Tuesday that the decision to fire Saleh was his and he had not discussed it with Rodgers beforehand. Rodgers’ teammate who played for the Green Bay Packers, James Jones seems to accept that account, saying that it is not in Rodgers’ nature to want the coach to be fired.

“To sit here and say Rodgers had something to do with it – he has something to do with it, his offense has everything to do with it because they didn’t win the last two games that they should have won if the offense played their part,” Jones said. “But Aaron Rodgers going up and saying ‘I don’t want him Robert Saleh.’ That’s not even Aaron … Robert Saleh, since he’s been the coach of the Jets, there’s been a lot of ups and downs [and] what do you do as a head coach.”

Colin Cowherd: It was a rash decision to send Saleh off, but the coach didn’t help himself

Colin Cowherd believes the writing on Saleh’s shooting may have been on the wall in Sunday’s 23-17 loss to the Vikings. Addressing a point former Jets coach Eric Mangini made on “First Things First” last week, Cowherd said the London game was important to Jets owner Woody Johnson because of the connections Johnson has had since serving as ambassador to the United Kingdom. Mangini also thought that this game was important for Johnson because they were going to face former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold, New York’s No. 1 pick. 3 overall in 2018.

Therefore, Cowherd believes that the decision to fire Saleh was a hasty one made to help the organization feel better after a painful loss, questioning Johnson’s motive.

“Right now, for all you real-life alphas out there, it feels good,” Cowherd said. “It’s like going to the batting cage when you’re in a bad mood to take a few whacks. [and think]’Someone will have to pay for this!’ Congratulations, you just fired the most talented coach on your staff. Nathaniel Hackett is probably the worst OC in the league. He is still there because Aaron confirms that he is there.

“So, this will be the fifth coach in 11 years. Does this sound like a well-run business? If you had a company and you were on your fifth CEO in 11 years, would you be a well-run company? For the record, if they beat the bills on ‘Monday Night Football, ‘ that bad coach Robert Saleh, they would have been in first place by passing his prime Aaron Rodgers … It feels good to fire a coach it’s always good for dysfunctional businesses to fire people and think that will solve it.”

However, Cowherd pointed to Saleh through his public messages. He believed that Saleh could have done more to create less tension, at least in the public eye, between him and Rodgers.

“He couldn’t keep things to himself,” Cowherd said. “Remember when he said, ‘This is an unexcused absence’ during minicamp? Robert, keep it to yourself. Remember when he said, ‘Aaron Rodgers is not going to play in the preseason?’ Aaron was surprised by that Keep it up to you when he beat Aaron Rodgers, the best quarterback in the NFL in my lifetime, Aaron fired the coach …

Cowherd and Nick Wright: The Jets are not a desirable place to coach

During an appearance on “The Herd,” “First Things First” co-host Nick Wright questioned why anyone would want to be the next coach of the Jets, saying “if only Cleveland, Carolina and New Orleans open jobs, the Jets still aren’t a good job.”

“If you take the Jets, what you have is a meddlesome owner, maybe a new front office or a front office with a GM who has vowed, ‘This is the year I fix the line,’ six years in a row, ‘a great running back, a great receiver and three great defensive players,'” Wright said. “OK, congratulations, you just took 29th place in a 32-team league. No, I don’t think it’s a good job in any job market.”

Cowherd had high praise for the Jets’ system, but also believes New York is not a top destination for head coaching candidates.

“I don’t think it’s a great job. Maybe a GOOD job because the list is good,” Cowherd said. “But I don’t get my GM, the reckless owner and the most corrupt quarterback thrown by a couple of coaches — say what you want — under the bus. Ask [current Cowboys and former Packers coach] Mike McCarthy and Saleh. … This was not Woody Johnson [telling Rodgers] ‘Hey, surprise!’ I don’t buy that.”

But Cowherd thinks the Jets will face tougher competition in the head-coaching market than the Wright float, further reducing their appeal.

“It’s a great year for openings — Philly, Jacksonville, Dallas, Chicago, Cincinnati could all have new coaches,” Cowherd said. “Joe Burrow, Dak [Prescott]Caleb Williams, Trevor Lawrence, Jalen Hurts could all need a coach. Last year, there was only one good job open – Chargers – that’s why [Jim] Harbaugh took it. … This year, you could have six.”

Chris Broussard: Hackett, not Saleh, should have been fired

Cowherd also believes Hackett should have been fired in Saleh’s position and would understand more if that was the case. “First Things First” host Chris Broussard agrees.

“If one coach is going to be fired, it should be Hackett,” Broussard said. “What’s Hackett doing besides looking bad for his guy, Aaron Rodgers? … One word comes to mind – scapegoat. [Saleh] it’s not Vince Lombardi, we all know that. But he’s a defensive coach, that’s what he’s good at, and their defense has been good.

“The problem is the offense. … One thing that cannot be denied is that if Rodgers had played well two weeks ago, they would have been 4-1 – at least 3-2 – and Robert Saleh would still be the head coach.”

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