Tuesday brought us the first coaching change in the NFL as the New York Jets fired Robert Saleh after a 2-3 start. While he could take the year off before looking for his next gig, the 45-year-old would also make sense for the Houston Texans.
Saleh was in his fourth season with the Jets and never had a winning record. He leaves with 20 wins and 36 losses but putting all of that on him feels unfair. He was not only forced to try and work with Zack Wilson as his quarterback early on but also had to navigate the 2023 season without their huge offseason addition — Aaron Rodgers.
A torn Achilles ended Rodgers' first season in New York and this year, he looks nothing like the player he once was. There are also whispers he and Saleh didn't see eye-to-eye, helping to push the coach out the door.
Before taking the gig in New York, Saleh was the defensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers from 2017 through 2020. He also worked with Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans in each of those seasons. Saleh even gave Ryan his first coaching gig when he named him the defensive quality control coach in 2017.
Ryans, the runner-up for the 2023 NFL Head Coach of the Year, is 14-8 with a 4-1 record this year. He's built an excellent roster but there's room for improvement in one area — run defense.
Houston is 17th in the NFL in yards surrendered on the ground and 25th in average per attempt. Saleh is a former linebacker's coach who could join the staff as a consultant. Perhaps his defensive approach could help the Texans find a way to improve in this area.
There's a lot of talent in the coaching ranks for Houston but it never hurts to bring in a trusted voice with proven experience.
