The New York Jets sent shockwaves to the NFL world by making the unexpected decision to fire their head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday. After an underwhelming 2-3 start, the Jets decided it was time for a change and moved on from their coach of the past 3.5 seasons.
It is certainly hard to argue that Saleh did a good job in New York, boasting a 20-36 record. Yet, it's equally difficult to suggest that he deserved to be the first coach fired this season.
With Saleh out of the picture, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is presumably the next in line along with Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson.
Kevin Stefanski Likely Next Up in Head Coach Firings
The Jets probably should have fired Saleh in the offseason. If, as a contender, you have enough doubts about your head coach to consider firing them after five games, that is a sign that you should have done it earlier. Giving them a final chance to get things right usually doesn't work and now you have to deal with a mid-season coaching change instead of having the entire training camp and preseason under a new leader.
Yet, it's never too late to correct your mistakes in the NFL. The Browns shouldn't be a victim of the sunk-cost fallacy and continue on this path with Stefanski, just because they signed him to a contract extension in the offseason.
Stefanski won the NFL Coach of the Year award twice with the Browns. He has generally been a good leader but things change very quickly in the NFL. If you see yourself as a Super Bowl contender, you don't have weeks to waste, especially if there is clear tension between the quarterback and the coaching staff.
