Despite being fired five games into the 2024 season, Robert Saleh remains a well-respected name around the NFL. So respected, in fact, that he’s becoming one of the most popular names in the 2025 head coaching cycle.
The former New York Jets head coach may not have to wait very long for his second chance in the role. As of Thursday morning, Saleh is up to three total interviews for head coaching vacancies around the NFL: the Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, and Dallas Cowboys.
Saleh completed his interviewed with Jacksonville on Tuesday. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Dallas is expected to interview Saleh while he will interview with Las Vegas on Thursday.
Saleh compiled a 20-36 record across three-plus seasons as the Jets’ head coach. He was off to a 2-3 start in 2024 before he was fired by team owner Woody Johnson; the Jets finished 3-9 without Saleh.
Saleh was one of the most coveted head coaching candidates in the 2021 cycle. One-and-a-half seasons into his Jets tenure, the hype seemed warranted. After a rocky debut season in New York with a young, rebuilding team, Saleh had the Jets off to a 7-4 start in 2022. Brimming with young talent on both sides of the ball and possessing an elite defense, the Jets seemed like one of the NFL’s up-and-coming teams.
From there, things collapsed. The Jets finished 2022 on a six-game losing streak, part of a 9-19 finish over Saleh’s final 28 games in New York.
While Saleh was beloved by his players and showed the ability to develop a quality defense, his tenure was ultimately doomed by the inability to solve the quarterback position, turmoil and turnover within the offensive staff, and the lack of cohesion and development along the offensive line. There also seemed to be an overarching lack of accountability under Saleh’s watch, as the Jets continuously struggled with penalties and stuck with favored players as they underperformed.
From a philosophical standpoint, Saleh seemed to establish an overly safe mindset within the team. Highlighted by his infamous “race to 20” quote in 2023, Saleh turned the Jets into a team that played not to lose instead of playing to win.
Furthermore, Saleh had consistent issues with clock and game management.
If Saleh is going to become a successful head coach on his potential second go-around, he must learn from all of the aforementioned mistakes that doomed his Jets tenure. If he can do that, he has a chance to become a good head coach in the league.
Though Saleh’s record in New York was dismal, it would be naïve to ignore the positive traits that he displayed. Saleh did a fantastic job turning around a Jets defense that was atrocious when he came in. He was highly respected by coaches and players alike; clearly, he maintains that respect around the league. Listening to him speak and observing his presence, Saleh comes off as an intense, passionate leader who is a natural “CEO” in the locker room. At the same time, he brings an even-keeled maturity that was unfamiliar to the Jets franchise.
There are a number of successful second-time head coaches in the NFL right now; Washington’s Dan Quinn is one of the best examples. Like Saleh, he hails from a defensive background. However, unlike Saleh, Quinn spent three years as a defensive coordinator after his first head coaching stint in Atlanta, giving him time to reflect and learn from the mistakes of his first tenure.
Could Saleh truly learn from his Jets tenure if he jumps straight into another head coaching job without taking a step back?
The Jets have been on both ends of this over the last decade, and neither instance ended well. Rex Ryan went straight to Buffalo in 2015 after the Jets fired him post-2014; Ryan only lasted two seasons with the Bills. Adam Gase bolted for New York in 2019 after the Dolphins fired him post-2018; I don’t need to explain how that went. To go back even further, Eric Mangini went straight to Cleveland in 2009 and lasted two seasons.
On the contrary, former Jets head coach Todd Bowles followed the Quinn route and is having success on his second head coaching run. After the Jets dumped him post-2018, Bowles spent three seasons as Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator, followed by a promotion to the Bucs’ head coaching role in 2022. Bowles has led Tampa Bay to three consecutive NFC South titles.
If an NFL team hires Saleh as its head coach in 2025, they had better be certain he can answer all of the aforementioned questions that sunk his Jets tenure. These teams are likely playing the “it was the Jets’ fault, he’ll be better with us” card, but Saleh certainly played a role in New York’s downfall throughout the 2020s. His ceiling as a coach is high, but the floor is low unless he can solve his weaknesses – which may be difficult if he hops directly into another job.
