Latest report indicates that the Jets' coaching staff was not functional even before Robert Saleh's firing
The New York Jets’ decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday came as a surprise — more than the move itself, the timing was weird. But it seems like the coaching staff was not working in a coordinated way. According to CBS Sports’ NFL insider Jonathan Jones, Saleh was considering the possibility of […]
The New York Jets’ decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday came as a surprise — more than the move itself, the timing was weird. But it seems like the coaching staff was not working in a coordinated way. According to CBS Sports’ NFL insider Jonathan Jones, Saleh was considering the possibility of firing offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
"Just before he was fired as head coach of the New York Jets, Robert Saleh was seriously contemplating firing offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett,” Jones reported. “Sources say Saleh could have made the move to fire Hackett as early as Tuesday, which is when (Jets owner Woody) Johnson ultimately made the decision on Saleh himself.”
Had Hackett been fired, Saleh would have promoted Todd Downing to offensive coordinator. The former Tennessee Titans OC was hired as the Jets’ passing game coordinator in 2023 and had the quarterbacks coach role added to his contract in 2024.
Connor Hughes, NFL reporter for SNYtv, indicated that the Jets wouldn't fire Hackett, but Saleh wanted to demote him from playcalling duties.
Question marks
Saleh’s willingness to fire Nathaniel Hackett brings more questions, because the offensive coordinator has a strong connection with quarterback Aaron Rodgers from their time together with the Green Bay Packers.
The decision to hire Hackett in the first place was at least partially motivated to lure Rodgers to be more receptive to the idea of playing for the Jets. Back in May, the quarterback was vocal to defend his coach and the Jets’ decision to keep him after a failed 2023 season.
"Well, you should trust me and I trust Nathaniel," Rodgers had said. "So, to me, that's end of story. There's been a lot of BS that's been said out there. There's a lot of things that have gone on the last couple years that he's dealt with that I think he's handled very professionally. And at the end of the day, I think you gotta trust his and my working relationship and the conversations that we have."
The Jets have not had offensive success under Nathaniel Hackett. Last season, without Aaron Rodgers, the team was 32nd in offensive DVOA. Through five weeks in 2024, it’s been better, but not by much — and certainly not what it needed to be to justify the investment the Jets have made in this structure. New York is 23rd in offensive DVOA.
Meanwhile, the defense slightly regressed from the performance they had last year, but it’s still good enough for the 12th best unit in the NFL by DVOA.
Now, defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will be the team's interim head coach. Hackett will be retained as the offensive coordinator.
The Jets made the right move in firing Saleh, but it was not the only move they should have made
Robert Saleh is gone as head coach of the New York Jets, and rightfully so. But he shouldn’t be the only coach hitting the unemployment line. I’m not usually a fan of in-season firings, especially this early in the year. If your coach is bad enough to be fired by week five, he was probably […]
