Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh in 2021.
The New York Jets have had a rough week from a public relations standpoint.
First, they come out and tell fans that Zach Wilson is not only expected to miss Week 1 — but the first three games of the season, guaranteed. Next, head coach Robert Saleh reveals that left tackle Duane Brown could be sidelined for multiple weeks with a shoulder injury he suffered in practice.
It’s not just being the bearer of bad news that has upset fans though, it’s been the way Saleh and the organization have gone about it. The Jets appeared to try and play some head games with the Baltimore Ravens when it came to Wilson’s availability, but all they accomplished was pissing off supporters once again after Mekhi Becton’s recovery delays a season ago.
The Brown fiasco has not helped, as Saleh’s press conference mistakes are starting to draw the attention of some popular NYC voices.
Evan Roberts: Saleh Has ‘No Credibility’ Right Now
Only the Jets could find a way to make people sharpen their pitchforks before Week 1. WFAN’s “Carton and Roberts” spoke for the frustrated portion of the fanbase on September 8.
Craig Carton began the radio show with a speech centered around why the Jets can’t get out of their own way but his partner Evan Roberts — a diehard fan of the team — was a lot harsher on Coach Saleh.
“We can’t trust anything the coach says,” Roberts voiced. “So Robert Saleh can say it’s a shoulder issue, we’re taking a look at it, we’re worried, we’re not worried — he’s got no credibility, zero.”
Brown was later declared “out” for Sunday’s game and beyond, another mystery timetable from Jets management. Roberts wasn’t done, however, sounding off on the 2022 expectations for this franchise after Carton brought up “playing meaningful football games” in December.
“No, no, no. Stop, stop stop,” Roberts cut in. “They have to win football games, let’s just be simple about it. Cause you just could have said, they have to win football games… Improvement could technically be winning five games, that’s not enough. Improvement could technically mean winning six games. Improvement could mean not being blown out and being one of the worst defenses we’ve ever seen over a few-week period of time. I don’t want improvement, I want to win games.”
Carton was more hung up on the Wilson news, voicing that he felt lied to.
“It’s not that difficult to recognize how to handle the media and the fanbase with the information that you give them,” he harped. “You told us three days ago that Zach Wilson might — no guarantee — might be ready for Week 1. We bought that, we got excited about the prospect of having our supposed franchise quarterback ready for Week 1. And we accepted the fact that he might not be [on a one-week basis].”
After #Jets HC Robert Saleh was asked a 3rd question about Zach Wilson situation he sounded flippant to the media, ‘to be honest with you guys, I really don’t want to talk about this situation anymore so the earliest he will be available is Pittsburgh’ 😳: 🎥 @nyjets #TakeFlight
Carton went on to call Wilson’s Week 1 injury management an “all-time screw-up” with the fanbase, adding that Saleh’s response about not wanting to answer any more questions on the topic made it worse.
Following the recent Becton blunder — stating that his season-ending injury wasn’t serious — Saleh’s constant errors at the podium have led the pair to question the head coach’s ability to handle the New York media long-term.
Roberts concluded: “Right now as we approach opening day, a week in which Jets fans have some hope, where we’re desperate for some semblance of competence and wins, it’s tough to be that confident.”
Saleh on Hot Seat in 2022?
The last thing any Jets fan should want to hear is talk of Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas getting fired. Most times that happens in the NFL, it sparks an immediate rebuild that stalls progress for another two or three seasons.
Unfortunately, that conversation has already begun for outside observers. Nate Davis of USA Today named Saleh as one of five coaches that are entering the season on the hot seat.
“Saleh’s predecessor, Adam Gase, didn’t make it to Year 3,” Davis reasoned. “Still, the fact that Saleh even rates on this list is a testament to the relative coolness of hot seats around the league in 2022… It should be noted Gase was hired months before Douglas in 2019, and the GM seems to be in much better lockstep with Saleh, whom he brought into the organization. But a franchise that owns the league’s longest playoff drought (dating to 2010) better start gaining altitude.”
No one believes Saleh will get fired anytime soon — nor should he — but would another disastrous season filled with P.R. nightmares push that narrative into the danger zone?
Only Woody Johnson knows the answer to that question, but as Carton and Roberts laid out, we’re off to a remarkably poor start over the first week of September.