After speaking about the quarterback situation earlier in the day, the New York Jets head coach had a different tune on “The Michael Kay Show”
Robert Saleh seems to be in between a rock and a hard place.
Appearing on “The Michael Kay Show,” the New York Jets head coach could not find a solid answer after Kay asked him why they weren’t trying Siemian as the signal caller.
#Jets HC Robert Saleh freezes badly when Michael Kay asks, “You have Trevor Siemian in your building, why not give him a try?”
Wow.
(🎥 @BoyGreen25) pic.twitter.com/gdqVv7etK8
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) November 7, 2023
“I don’t know. You got me; I’m going to plead the fifth on all this one… They’re valid questions. I know that passionate fans all have the same questions. I respect it greatly, but I’ve gotta look at it from a global standpoint, just see where we are, look at the All-22 the best I can, and make the decision as best as possible.”
Yet, the Jets’ head coach had a different tone earlier in the day.
During his media availability on Tuesday, the New York Jets head coach said that the team is sticking with Zach Wilson as their starting quarterback and is not considering calling up Trevor Siemian from the practice squad.
Saleh said, “It’s lazy” to put all of the blame on Wilson and discussed where the blame falls on the offense.
“It’s easy to blame the people who are most visible to the camera, but it’s important to keep the main thing the main thing: watch the tape. Look at the breakdowns, whether it was on the offensive line from an execution standpoint or play call standpoint. There’s a bunch of different reasons, and obviously, they also get paid,” said Saleh.
“So, they did a lot of really good things, too, but if it were just him, it would be something that would be worth discussing. This is a collective issue that we all need to get on the same page with. Whether it’s dropped balls, players being where they’re supposed to be, executing the way we need to execute, calling plays that need to be called, putting players in the positions they need to be put into, that’s all of us, and yes, he has a lot of things that he needs to improve on. I know he understands that, but at the same time, this is collective.”
The inconsistent tone from Saleh shows that the quarterback situation is not as clear-cut as some may believe. While the head coach does have a role in the offensive struggles, his tone and comments hint towards someone who is operating with a hand tied behind his back.
Whether it is general manager Joe Douglas, owner Woody Johnson, or a combination of both, there seems to be a concerted effort to keep Zach Wilson unchallenged at quarterback.
The Jets have continuously passed on upgrading over Wilson as their backup, even with the severe lack of success he showed in the first two years of his career. They passed on players like Joshua Dobbs and Jacoby Brissett in free agency and the trade deadline, feeling content with Wilson for some strange reason.
With their offense on pace to be one of the worst in the NFL’s recent history and in danger of derailing another season, Saleh will be directly in the line of fire. But considering his comments today, other parties in the Jets’ organization are just as culpable in the offensive failures as the head coach of the team.
