- The New York Jets shook things up this week as they fired head coach Robert Saleh.
- Quarterback Aaron Rodgers says he had nothing to do with Saleh’s firing.
- Interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich has stripped offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett of his play-calling duties.
The New York Jets had high hopes coming into the 2024-2025 NFL season. However, things have gone south quickly for the Jets, who are 2-3.
This week, the Jets made some major moves as they fired head coach Robert Saleh. Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett has also been stripped of play-calling duties by interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich.
Jets Fire Saleh After London Loss, Rodgers “Resents” Reports He Had Something to Do with It
The Jets struggled again in a 23-17 loss to Minnesota in London on Sunday, October 6, and the next day, Saleh met with the media.
However, the embattled head coach was fired the next day as owner Woody Johnson claims the decision was made by him, and him alone. It should also be noted that Saleh was 20-36 as a head coach with the Jets, so his time may have been coming to an end anyway.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was named the interim head coach, but rumors started that quarterback Aaron Rodgers had something to do with Saleh’s demise.
Rodgers said on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” that he had nothing to do with it.
"As far as any of the ridiculous allegations out there, I'm not going to spend more than one sentence in response to it, and that is that I resent any of those accusations because they are patently false. It's interesting the amount of power that people think that I have, which I don't. I love Robert."
The Jets’ offense has struggled badly, ranking 27th in yards per game, and dead last in rushing yards. Rodgers has completed 61.0% of his passes for 1,093 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions. The 40-year-old, who missed basically of all last season with a torn Achilles, suffered an ankle injury in the Jets’ loss to Minnesota.
However, Ulbrich said that Rodgers will be ready to go for a huge NFL Week 6 showdown with Buffalo. A Monday Night Football game against a divisional rival is always big. But this game seems like a must-win for the Jets.
Hackett Stripped of Offensive Play-Calling Duties
There were also theories that Rodgers had a problem with Saleh’s plan to demote offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who was a major reason Rodgers asked for a trade to the Jets from Green Bay. Rodgers and Hackett worked together in Green Bay from 2019 to 2021. Rodgers won the NFL MVP award in 2020, and again in 2021.
While Saleh was fired, Ulbrich carried out the plan to strip Hackett of calling plays for the Buffalo game. Todd Downing will now call the offensive plays for the Jets, and he is the current quarterback coach and passing-game coordinator.
The Jets have a chance to get back into the mix in the AFC championship odds, as they’re at home to Buffalo, then at Pittsburgh and New England, home to Houston, away at Arizona, and home to Indianapolis. If they play to their potential, at least four of those games are very winnable. The Jets will also have four of those games in primetime, so there is nowhere to hide.
But they had to do something to right the ship before it got out of hand. We’ll see how the Jets react this Monday against the Bills, where New York is a 1.5-point underdog at home at NFL betting sites.
