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I guess the honeymoon is officially over.
Robert Saleh recently celebrated his one-year anniversary as the head coach of the New York Jets. His first season was mired in injuries and tough losses, but there appeared to be a sense of optimism about the future.
After a recent NFL bombshell, some fans appear ready to hit the reset button at the top.
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From Defense to Offense
Sean Payton shocked the football world when he announced he was leaving the New Orleans Saints. In a long press conference, Payton explained he didn’t know what was next for him but said football was still in his future.
In the immediate aftermath Jets fans on Twitter started campaigning for the team to move on from Saleh and hire Payton as the next head coach of the green and white.
Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. At the end of the season, NFL Insider Ian Rapoport shared that Saleh was safe and the Jets really liked where the program was heading.
Of course, that vote of confidence was shared before we knew about Payton’s sudden availability.
After Payton announced he was leaving, a lot of reports surfaced that he was retiring or at the very least walking away from the game for a year to decompress before jumping into those NFL waters in 2023.
The fans have spoken and they want Payton. It seems unlikely, if this were to happen, that it would be a 2022 possibility but if things go down the drain this season the green and white may look to do something drastic.
One more thing to keep in mind about this potential dream scenario of Payton coaching the Jets is his ties to the Saints. He remains under contract with New Orleans, which means if and when he ever decides to coach again, the Saints will have to be compensated via trade.
Seems Like Nothing More Than a Pipedream
For all intents and purposes, Saleh is going to be the head coach of the Jets this upcoming season. Although he won’t be for much longer after that if they don’t start winning football games.
At the end of the day, the NFL is a results-oriented business.
During the end of the season address by general manager Joe Douglas and Saleh, a playoff mandate wasn’t issued but there is an expectation to be playing meaningful football in December.
While that may seem like a low bar to clear, it certainly hasn’t been for the Jets. For far too long their season has been over by October, which means the second halves of those campaigns were all about pride and development.
In 2022 there won’t be any moral cookies for competing, the only thing that will quench the thirst of Jets fans is victories in the win column.
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