Stumbling New York Jets reportedly fire head coach Robert Saleh

The New York Jets have fired head coach Robert Saleh after an uneven start to the season, according to ESPN.

The Jets’ loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London on Sunday left them with a 2-3 record. Saleh’s overall record with the Jets is 20-36. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the team’s defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbrich, will take charge on an interim basis and will lead the Jets for their next game, against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football.

Saleh was seen as a rising star when the Jets hired him in 2021 after a successful spell as defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. Saleh, who is of Lebanese descent, was also the first Muslim head coach in NFL history. He helped turn the Jets into a defensive force but was unable to do the same for their offense, which struggled due to poor quarterback play as the Jets finished last in the AFC East in his first two seasons. While Saleh had to cope with six different starting quarterbacks during his time with the Jets, he was also part of the leadership team when New York selected Zach Wilson, who has struggled badly in the NFL, with the No 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft.

There were signs of a revival last season when the Jets traded for four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers who, it was hoped, could lead a team packed with young stars back to the postseason. But Rodgers tore an achilles tendon on the first drive of the season, ruling him out for the rest of the campaign, and the Jets limped to a 7-10 record.

Rodgers recovered in time to start the 2024 season but, at 40, he is no longer the force he once was and the quarterback was forced to deny there was tension between himself and Saleh.

Some may see Saleh’s firing as hasty. He was hired for his defensive mind, and the Jets have still been relatively strong in that department. Although the team are 2-3, they are only one game behind the Bills for first place in the AFC East and Sunday’s loss came against the Vikings, who are unbeaten this season.

Team owners Christopher and Woody Johnson must now look for a new head coach. Jets fans will be forgiven for doubting the Johnsons will make the right choice: they oversee a team that has missed the playoffs every season since 2010.