New York Jets owner Woody Johnson held a conference call with the media at 2:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, mere hours after it was announced that he had decided to fire head coach Robert Saleh.
Johnson expressed confidence in the team’s overall talent and its direction moving forward after the firing of Saleh. The owner said that the organization has “one of the most talented teams that has ever been assembled by the New York Jets” and that the decision to fire Saleh will result in “new energy and positivity that will lead to more wins starting now.”
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Woody Johnson says this is "one of the most talented teams that has ever been assembled by the New York #Jets." Says the move to fire Robert Saleh will result in "new energy and positivity that will lead top more wins starting now."
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 8, 2024
Saleh finished his career as the Jets’ head coach with a record of 20-36 in three-plus seasons.
This is the first time Johnson has fired a head coach in his tenure as the Jets’ owner. Whether it was Eric Mangini, Rex Ryan, Todd Bowles, Adam Gase, and so on, Johnson always had the patience to let the season play out before pulling the plug. For whatever reason, that all changed with Saleh, and Johnson appears optimistic that the change will lead to immediate results.
The Jets will host the division rival Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football in Jeff Ulbrich’s first game as the interim head coach. The winner of that game will hold first place in the AFC East through six weeks. If Johnson’s assurance of immediate wins holds true, the Jets could find themselves in a good spot one week from now. If not, the media will continue throwing jabs at the Jets for their apparent dysfunction.