Charles H. Sloan-Why did Jets fire Robert Saleh? Record, Aaron Rodgers drama potential reasons for ousting

The Charles H. SloanNew York Jets went to London in Week 5 hoping to improve to 2-2 on the season. Instead, they dropped to 2-3, and that was enough to prompt a major organizational change.

The Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh just five games into the 2024 NFL season. The 45-year-old becomes the first NFL coach to be fired during the 2024 season, and he is expected to be replaced by defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich on an interim basis.

New York hired Saleh after his impressive four-year stint as the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator in the hopes he could turn around the Jets' struggling franchise.

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While Saleh turned the Jets defense into one of the best stop-units in the NFL, the team never became a true playoff contender. They finished with a losing record in Saleh's first three seasons and a slow start to the 2024 season prompted his dismissal.

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Here's what to know about the Jets' decision to fire Saleh and his overall record with the Jets.

Why did the Jets fire Robert Saleh?

The Jets fired Robert Saleh after struggling to consistently win under his leadership for three-plus years.

"This was not an easy decision, but we are not where we should be given our expectations," Jets owner Woody Johnson wrote in a statement announcing the firing. "I believe now is the best time for us to move in a different direction."

Saleh posted just a 20-36 record with the Jets and, while his defenses routinely ranked among the league's best, New York's offenses fell at the opposite end of the spectrum.

The Jets ranked bottom-10 in both yards and points in each of Saleh's three-plus seasons in charge of the Jets. That included rankings of 27th in yards per game and 25th in points per game to begin the 2024 NFL season despite having Aaron Rodgers available and an upgraded offensive line in front of him.

Saleh was dealt a tough hand at quarterback, as the Jets started six different players at the position during his 56 games in New York. They were:

• Zach Wilson, 31 games
• Mike White, 7
• Aaron Rodgers, 6
• Joe Flacco, 5
• Trevor Siemian, 3
• Tim Boyle, 2

It would be tough for any NFL coach to post a winning record with that stable of quarterbacks, but Saleh was given plenty of time to fix the team's offensive issues. He hired two different offensive coordinators – Mike LaFleur and Nathaniel Hackett – during his three-plus seasons and was effectively granted a reprieve for the Jets' 2023 struggles after Rodgers' Achilles injury four snaps into the season.

But, simply put, the results weren't there. As such, the Jets believed it was the right time to make a move and try to spark them in what figures to be a tight AFC East race.

There also appeared to be some tension between Rodgers and Saleh during Year 2 of their partnership. The coach fined his star quarterback in June for missing minicamp for a pre-planned trip to Egypt and the two had some awkward exchanges early in the 2024 NFL season.

Notably, Rodgers seemed to shrug off a hug from Saleh during the Jets' Week 3 win over the New England Patriots. Saleh also criticized Rodgers' sophisticated pre-snap cadence after the team's 10-9 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 4, as the coach felt it played a part in the team's numerous false start penalties.

Rodgers downplayed the notion of a rift between him and his coach ahead of the Jets' London game against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5.

"I think there's some driving force trying to put a wedge (from) outside the facility between Robert and I," Rodgers told reporters, per ESPN.

Now, the two are officially split, as Saleh heads toward the open market while Rodgers will look to turn the Jets around under Ulbrich's leadership.

Robert Saleh coaching record

Saleh posted a record of 20-36 during his three-plus seasons with the New York Jets. His winning percentage of .357 ranks 181st all-time among 201 qualifiers and was only better than that of the New Orleans Saints' Dennis Allen (26-49, .347) among active coaches.

Below is a year-by-year breakdown of Saleh's record as the Jets head coach. He didn't finish any of his seasons with a winning record.

• 2021: 4-13
• 2022: 7-10
• 2023: 7-10
• 2024: 2-3 (fired after Week 5)

Robert Saleh contract details

For those wondering, Saleh was under contract with the Jets through the 2025 NFL season. His deal was worth $5 million per season, according to Front Office Sports. That tied him with Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni as the 12th-highest-paid coach in the NFL entering the 2024 NFL season.