Breece Hall just explained why the Jets never won under Robert Saleh

Despite the ongoing revisionist history, let there be no mistake: the New York Jets’ decision to hire Robert Saleh failed miserably.

Not even Aaron Rodgers or the duo of Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson could save Saleh, who went 20-36 before getting fired in his fourth season. His forced enthusiasm and attempts to channel Rex Ryan failed to win over fans, and his “all gas, no brakes” mantra quickly made him a laughingstock in the football world. 

Breece Hall and the Jets are nearly two full years removed from Saleh, and the vibes have been surprisingly enthusiastic all summer. Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Hall seemed to hint that the coaching change only helped matters.

“I feel like there’s a lot more organizational stability, which I feel like helps the players because I feel like the players are only going to be as good as the organization is,” Hall said. “You can’t have good players and not have a stable organization and still have a good team.”

The Jets went 3-14 in Aaron Glenn’s first season and have not reached the playoffs since 2010.

Breece Hall all but said the quiet part out loud about Robert Saleh

When they haven’t been taking potshots at the Jets, the national media have become obsessed with pushing the Robert Saleh Redemption Tour since the Titans hired him in January. 

Anyone who follows football knows the truth: Saleh frequently looked overwhelmed in the New York market and failed to prove that he was a capable head coach lacking a franchise quarterback. For his sake, he’d better hope that Cam Ward turns out better than Zach Wilson.

And while Hall didn’t outright criticize Saleh, it’s not hard to read between the lines to see what he’s potentially suggesting. The Jets were incompetent in Saleh’s three-plus seasons despite featuring numerous impressive young players. Personnel only matters so much when you aren’t fit to be a head coach. Look no further than Adam Gase in both Miami and New York.

For what it’s worth, Saleh’s players in San Francisco publicly raved about him in his two stints as defensive coordinator. But Josh McDaniels is proof that excellent coordinators don’t always make good coaches, especially when it comes to properly managing a locker room. 

Hindsight is 20/20, and there’s an argument to be made that the Jets should have fired Saleh after the 2021 season. Woody Johnson was once again the principal owner after serving during Donald Trump’s first administration, and the Jets had just gone 4-13. Perhaps pairing Zach Wilson with an offensive-minded coach like Mike McDaniel would have changed the Jets’ entire trajectory.

But all of that is in the past, and Hall isn’t hiding his optimism about what lies ahead. He’ll have a perfect opportunity to prove just how far the organization has come when the Jets battle Saleh’s Titans in Week 1.

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