In a surprising move, the New York Jets have decided to fire head coach Robert Saleh five games into the season following a 2-3 start.
Jets owner Woody Johnson issued a formal statement shortly after the news broke, stating, "We are not where we should be given our expectations, and I believe now is the best time for us to move in a different direction."
A statement from #Jets owner Woody Johnson on the firing of Robert Saleh pic.twitter.com/xKGzZacQWd
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 8, 2024
While the Jets are off to a rocky start to the season, they still are in the hunt for the AFC East title. A victory on Monday against the Buffalo Bills would move them into first place in the division and the playoff picture.
With ample time to correct the course of the season, why did Johnson think that a little over a month into the regular season was a good time to let go of Saleh?
While it is true that things were not going well for Gang Green, unique factors have played into the disappointing start. For starters, Aaron Rodgers has looked rusty at times as the offense has been off to a lackluster start. Their average of 18.6 points per game ranks 25th in the league and is roughly a three-point increase from their output a year ago when they averaged 15.8 points. This is likely not what the Jets were envisioning when Rodgers took over the reins from Zach Wilson.
It's fair for the organization to be underwhelmed with the early results, but it's important to keep in mind the predicament that this Jets offense is in. Rodgers is 40 years old and is coming off a major Achilles injury that he suffered in Week 1 last year. On top of that, he was absent from the mandatory team minicamp. It appears that these events are affecting Rodgers early in the season as the offense has struggled with him at the helm.
The acquisition of Rodgers was intended to propel the Jets into contention, as they felt like their stellar defense was being held back by a carousel of quarterbacks, with Wilson receiving a bulk of the blame.
Rodgers and the rest of the Jets offense could benefit from some time to gel and get into a rhythm. Despite the slow start, there is still plenty of time to turn things around, but did lofty expectations cause the organization to panic and find a scapegoat for its concerning early returns?
Johnson's decision to fire Saleh indicates that he is doubling down on this team. The pressure will now be on this squad to piece things together and achieve the high aspirations that are in place. If things still trend in a negative direction, the fallout could be detrimental to the future of the team as it continues to search for answers.
