Robert Saleh has restored his reputation around the NFL in 2025.
Does that change how his previous run with the New York Jets is viewed?
Since being hired by the San Francisco 49ers to run their defense once again, Saleh has reminded the league why he’s so highly regarded as a leader of men, at least on one side of the ball. As he returns to New York for the 49ers’ matchup with the Giants, the New York Post published an exclusive interview with the 46-year-old coach.
From being robbed of what he called his “signature joy,” Saleh has reinvented himself out west — and has begun to reflect on how his time with the Jets will ultimately be remembered.
Robert Saleh’s legacy
As strong as Saleh’s reputation is around the league, he can’t escape the numbers tied to his Jets tenure. Across three-plus seasons in Florham Park, his team went 20-36.
He was dismissed five games into the 2024 season after New York stumbled to a 2-3 start.
Saleh’s legacy with the Jets is complicated. During his time with the organization, New York’s defense became one of the league’s elite units, producing All-Pro players at nearly every position.
From 2022 to 2024, the Jets ranked in the top five defensively each year.
But as good as the defense was, the offense was the exact opposite. New York never figured out the quarterback position or stabilized the offensive line under Saleh. The situation grew so dire that owner Woody Johnson reportedly urged the coach to focus more on the offense rather than relying solely on his defensive background.
After three losing seasons marked by inconsistency on that side of the ball, Saleh’s tenure ended midway through 2024.
And while his defensive success is undeniable, his overall legacy in New York remains defined by failure as a head coach — even if that failure wasn’t entirely his own.
Jets’ coaching futility
Saleh wasn’t the worst head coach in franchise history. In fact, his .357 winning percentage ranks sixth-worst among Jets coaches who led the team for at least 10 games.
His predecessor, Adam Gase, won just nine of 32 contests (.281). Rich Kotite managed four wins in two seasons (.125). Even current head coach Aaron Glenn has a lower winning percentage than Saleh (.125).
In short, the Jets have had their share of coaching struggles.
Despite his strong character and leadership qualities, Saleh’s teams often lacked accountability, a problem reflected in the Jets’ frequent penalties and mental mistakes.
But the root cause of New York’s chronic failures goes deeper than the man on the sideline.
At the end of the day, the Jets’ coaching futility has been driven by their long-standing inability to solve the quarterback position. Saleh failed with Zach Wilson and Aaron Rodgers. Gase failed with Sam Darnold. Nearly every disappointing season in recent memory has been tied to instability under center.
It’s nearly impossible to sustain success in the NFL without the right quarterback. Saleh learned that the hard way.
While he may have rediscovered his “joy” in San Francisco, the shadow of his Jets tenure lingers.
And no matter how much success he finds elsewhere, there may be no true rehabilitation for what happened in New York.
