It might be a hypothetical question due to Rodgers, but does Robert Saleh deserve to lose his head coaching job with the New York Jets?
As the New York Jets‘ season completely derails, their decision-makers face intense heat. Much ire is directed at Nathaniel Hackett, who is living up to Sean Payton’s criticism. I have blasted Joe Douglas on multiple occasions, both prior to the season and since.
Still, the other head honcho deserves some individual scrutiny, independent of Douglas. Robert Saleh has been with the Jets for three years. Although the pair seemingly have a united vision, there are indications that their paths may have diverged from the outset. In some ways, the questions about Saleh are more interesting.
Leaving aside Saleh’s job safety because of Aaron Rodgers‘ preferences, does he deserve another go-round? In an ordinary situation, would it be wise for Woody Johnson to pull the trigger?
2021
Saleh’s hiring was lauded by many, but it was somewhat curious in the fact that the Jets were planning on drafting a quarterback. While having an offensive-minded head coach is not a requirement to develop a young passer, it is often considered a big plus. Still, Saleh’s star shone brightly after the 49ers’ dominant defense led them to the 2020 Super Bowl. There was no real reason to dislike his appointment.
In his first season at the helm, the Jets’ roster was bereft of talent. Predictably, the team struggled to the tune of a 4-13 record, finishing 22nd in offensive DVOA and 32nd in defensive DVOA.
That’s where the question starts, though. How was the offense superior to the defense? Even the Zach Wilson-led passing attack ranked 29th in DVOA, superior to the defensive DVOA rank (although Mike White and Joe Flacco may have impacted that). Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich are supposedly defensive whisperers, but that was not the case.
There is a clear reason for this. Saleh’s defensive scheme heavily relies on elite talent. He rarely blitzes and does not usually disguise coverage. His 4-3 system also gives less flexibility in player usage.
Therefore, a Saleh defense without elite talent may actually be worse than most other defenses with a similar talent level. Consider the players on the defense: John Franklin-Myers, Quinnen Williams, Folorunso Fatukasi, Bryce Huff, C.J. Mosley, Quincy Williams, Bryce Hall, Brandin Echols, Michael Carter II, Marcus Maye, and Elijah Riley.
Obviously, this group had many injuries, and many of them were not the stars they are today. Still, should a defense with some of those players have been that bad? The answer lies in Saleh’s system.
On the offensive side of the ball, some may blame Saleh for Wilson’s poor rookie season. I am more inclined to blame Douglas for some of the issues. It was Douglas who chose to leave Mike White as the team’s lone backup quarterback, thereby ensuring Wilson would be the Week 1 starter.
Then again, it was likely Saleh’s choice to bring in a first-time play-caller in Mike LaFleur, and that is his fault. Even with Greg Knapp as the quarterbacks coach (before his tragic death), it’s difficult to have a rookie play-caller together with a rookie quarterback. The Jets also doubled down on this by bringing in a first-time quarterback coach, Rob Calabrese.
2022
This is where Saleh’s issues as a head coach started to come to life. It started with Mekhi Becton‘s daily saga in the offseason. It became apparent pretty quickly that Saleh never made any serious attempt to curb his players’ public airing of dirty laundry or suppress their trash-talking and controversial comments on Twitter (now X). This can be distracting for any franchise but potentially fracture a locker room in New York with all the media coverage.
The Jets’ issues with discipline became rapidly apparent. The team took multiple boneheaded roughing the passer penalties. This issue carried off the field, where players continued to trash talk on Twitter.
The Wilson issue in 2022 went from a mistake to an outrage. The Jets once more had only a 37-year-old Flacco and the temporary hero White as their backups. Still, even after Flacco showed he was a ghost, the team kept him as the backup. When they finally promoted White to QB2, they refused to bench Wilson for poor play. Arguably, it was the two Patriots losses, games that White should have entered after halftime (at the latest), that buried the Jets’ playoff hopes.
It’s hard to know if Douglas or even Johnson interfered in this scenario, but at least publicly, this is Saleh’s blame to bear. He dug his grave even deeper by constantly defending Wilson, even when there was nearly a locker room mutiny. It came to the point where Mosley grabbed Saleh by the collar and insisted he make a quarterback change.
The Elijah Moore debacle also emphasized how Saleh had no command of his locker room. Issues between coaches and players happen in the NFL, but the number of sagas within the Jets’ locker room indicated it was a team issue. That the Jets first misused Moore, then ignored him, then benched him, then essentially ignored him again after refusing to trade him, was ridiculous.
Garrett Wilson also had his public displays which Saleh never reined in. Wilson would raise his hands in frustration when a Zach Wilson pass went awry, showing up his quarterback. That is unacceptable behavior in the NFL. It kept happening, though, likely indicating his coach never told him off.
From a tactical perspective, Saleh’s conservative mindset seemed to prevail throughout the season. Rather than trying to push the envelope by being aggressive on fourth down and taking chances in short-distance situations or between the 40s, he was content to run the football into a wall and rely on his defense to control field position. He was the most conservative coach in the NFL on fourth down.
Even his vaunted defense had exploitable cracks for any team with a good play-caller. The aggressive mindset led to trouble with defending quarterback runs, screens, counter plays, and draws. Covering tight ends was a continuing issue.
2023
In the 2023 offseason, the Twitter/X drama continued for the Jets. Various players posted controversial statements that should have stayed in-house. Once again, Saleh had no control over it.
During the summer, Hard Knocks gave the impression that the quarterback was the alpha in the room rather than the head coach. All through the offseason, it was apparent that the Jets would jump if Rodgers said “boo.” Saleh and Douglas were both unusually fawning in their excitement over acquiring Rodgers.
Many of the personnel issues in 2023 are once again attributable to Douglas rather than Saleh. Although the pair likely consult, it is ultimately up to Douglas to bring in free agents and make trades. Saleh did not control whether Douglas would up his offer to the free agents who ultimately chose other teams over the Jets. He also likely did not directly influence the pick swap in the Rodgers deal.
There are still several personnel issues for which Saleh is to blame, though. For one, drafting Will McDonald in the first round was a poor move. Even after the top tackles were off the board, taking a wide receiver was clearly the team’s next priority. Although Rodgers does not always work well with rookie receivers, the Jets needed someone else. In general, the mindset should have been to improve the offense at all costs. Saleh’s defensive mindset is likely what caused the Jets to go defense.
Regular season
In season, of course, the No. 1 issue is Wilson for the second consecutive year. If Saleh chose to keep Wilson as the backup quarterback without bringing in competition, then he deserves criticism along with Douglas.
The far bigger issue, though, is what Saleh did once Rodgers went down. He refused to make a change until the season was all but entirely lost. This may be the biggest reason to question Saleh as a leader: if he chose one player over the good of the whole team, what kind of coach is he? Does he deserve to make decisions impacting 69 players?
The discipline issues are once again rearing their ugly heads, even more so than in 2022. The Jets took multiple boneheaded personal foul penalties against the Giants, a recurring problem this season and throughout Saleh’s tenure. While players are responsible for penalties, when the issues keep happening, it once again shows the coach’s lack of command in the locker room. Based on how other teams play, a coach does not need to be Bill Belichick for players to respect them and avoid inexcusable penalties.
Tactically, the team still has issues with personnel usage. Though Saleh is not the offensive coordinator, he has some level of control over which players receive more snaps. It is hard to fathom how Carter, Dalvin Cook, and C.J. Uzomah received so many snaps for so long. On defense, Micheal Clemons takes around 40% of the snaps despite hardly any positive impact plays all season.
The problems preventing the defense from being elite also persist. Poor tackling, overaggressive pursuit, and bad safety play continue from 2022, as do penalties in particularly inopportune moments.
Wilson question?
Saleh made an interesting comment recently. He was asked what the team could have done differently during the draft process when evaluating the quarterback position. His response was, “I’ve got my thoughts I’ve shared with Joe, but I’m not going to get into them here with you guys.”
Saleh seemingly admits here that they got something wrong in the draft process. More than that, though, there was a report this offseason from ESPN’s Rich Cimini that there were those within the Jets’ building who were not sold on drafting Wilson. According to Cimini, it was ultimately LaFleur and assistant general manager Rex Hogan who were pushing the pick.
Could Saleh have been one of those with misgivings? If so, that may reveal a misalignment between the coach and general manager from the outset.
Anything good?
Despite the problems surrounding Saleh, there are still many positive aspects of his Jets tenure. His players like him, which is important in today’s NFL. In fact, there are players and coaches alike who came to New York because of their respect for him. His persona as a players’ coach means that players trust him to have their backs and keep their issues internal as much as possible. (It’s unfortunate that they do not afford him the same courtesy.)
Additionally, on the defensive side of the ball, Saleh and Ulbrich have shown some flexibility. The way they beat the Eagles was a masterful coaching job, as well as many of their in-game adjustments throughout the season.
The Jets’ selections of Gardner and Johnson are also a credit to Saleh. The team could have gone in different directions at both of those positions if they chose. Saleh focused on both draft targets, though. Gardner paid off from the outset, while Johnson is showing significant improvement in Year 2 and appears to be a keeper.
The development of the Williams brothers and Huff can also be credited to Saleh. All three players showed flashes earlier in their careers but broke out in 2022-23. Many fans may want to blame Saleh for using Huff in such a limited role in 2022, but he deserves credit for expanding that role in 2023.
Overall, Saleh’s reputation on the defensive side of the football has carried over to the Jets. Their defense may not be as good as the 49ers’ in their heyday, but it’s a team strength that would likely be even better with a competent offense.
Stay or go?
Rodgers may hold the fate of both Douglas and Saleh in his hands. If the quarterback wants them both to stay, they will. Still, when looking at Saleh’s tenure in a vacuum, does he deserve a fourth year?
In my opinion, the answer depends on a few variables. I blame Douglas more than Saleh for the issues plaguing the team this season. I view them largely as talent deficiencies, which I put on the back of the general manager.
Still, Saleh’s extreme stubbornness in sticking to what is not working needs addressing. I think the right move would be to give Saleh one more year because of his relationships with the players and his defensive acumen. However, with that should come orders to hire the best offensive mind available (likely in the form of a co-offensive coordinator) as a play-caller, sign the best backup quarterback possible, cut Wilson, and have a shorter leash with any underperforming veterans.
Perhaps this seems like exactly the meddling Johnson has often been accused of by Jets fans. In this case, though, I think common sense needs to come from somewhere. That is a pervasive issue for Saleh. I don’t know if a team wants to tear it all down in what could be a final all-in year, but there must be some firm ground rules for 2024.
What do you think, Jets fans? In a vacuum, should Saleh stay or go in 2024?
