Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh reacting during an NFL preseason game.
The New York Jets have made a key decision on the team’s future.
NFL Insider Peter Schrager of Fox Sports said head coach Robert Saleh “is safe” according to “good intel.”
.@PSchrags said #Jets HC Robert Saleh is safe regardless of what happens in the Week 18 #Dolphins game ‘from good intel’ + ‘I think Saleh’s safe’ + also addressed Sean Payton & Tom Brady package deal rumor 👀: 🎙 @BillSimmons Pod #TakeFlight
He made that statement while making an appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast. Simmons then asked what happens if the Jets lose in Week 18 versus the Miami Dolphins with Skylar Thompson at quarterback.
“If they win, they get eight wins and you would’ve said you would’ve signed up for that anyway,” Schrager responded. “If they lose, they finish with seven wins so I think you would’ve said you would’ve signed up for that. I know it wasn’t the way they wanted but I believe Saleh is safe.”
The Jets Are in the Midst of an Epic Collapse and Robert Saleh Is at the Head of It
The Jets were looking pretty back in Week 10 they were 6-3 enjoying the bye week and dreaming of snapping an 11-year playoff drought.
Over the next seven weeks, they would only win one more game dropping them to a lowly 7-9, and with those results their hopes for the postseason ended.
Gang Green has lost five in a row and seven of their last nine. If they lose on Sunday to the Dolphins, a very real possibility, they’ll drop to 7-10 and end the season on a six-game skid.
Despite that Schrager says the head coach is safe.
In two seasons Saleh is 11-22 as the lead man for the Jets. General manager Joe Douglas who hired Saleh back in 2021 is 20-45 overall.
He was hired in June of 2019 missing that year’s free agency and NFL draft. Mike Maccagnan performed both of those tasks and handed that on a platter for Douglas to deal with after he was fired.
Technically Douglas will be heading into his fifth season at the top, some argue only fourth because it’s hard to count 2019 on his ledger.
Regardless of that, they’re both linked at the hip on the same playing field, if Saleh is safe, Douglas is safe, and vice-versa. However next season there seems to be mounting pressure that a playoff mandate will be issued.
If the Jets make the playoffs both guys will be safe again next year, however, in the case the team misses the playoffs both guys would be fired, and it would be another clean slate for the Jets.
Woody Johnson Is the Ultimate Wildcard as the Jets’ Owner
Peter Schrager is a very good NFL Insider who has a long track record of success and providing good intel.
However, as Rich Cimini of ESPN recently noted on the Flight Deck Podcast, “you know nothing is really off the table” with Woody Johnson as the owner of the Jets.
“By and large Woody is mostly a patient guy as an owner there have been a couple of instances where he hasn’t been during his ownership. If Woody Johnson says to Robert Saleh you have to fire Mike LaFleur or else. I mean would he do that? I don’t know, I hope he doesn’t. He should just stay out of this lane and let the football people decide that.”
If that hypothetical situation were to play out that could potentially lead to some issues. When Saleh was asked about his embattled offensive coordinator on Monday, January 2 he said that he has “been in” those shoes before.
#Jets HC Robert Saleh was asked if he still has full confidence in Mike LaFleur? ‘Yeah I’ve been in LaFleur’s shoes’ + went on to explain how ‘easy’ it would’ve been for Kyle Shanahan to fire him in 2018 on #49ers but he stuck by him, they went to #SuperBowl in 2019: 🎥 @nyjets
That sure doesn’t sound like a coach who is ready to fire his offensive coordinator.