Jets insider reveals Titans HC Robert Saleh was expecting Week 1 schedule reveal

Saleh was expecting this one, along with every other Jets fan.

Charlie Baduini

Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh / DENNY SIMMONS / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While the NFL released its full slate of regular-season games late last week, the list of opponents has been public knowledge since January.

The Tennessee Titans, coached by former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh, were on the docket. And it only made sense that New York would be facing their former steward in a standout window, along with a slew of former Jets players who joined Saleh in Nashville.

Well, in Week 1 of the 2026 regular season, the Jets will face the new-look Titans in Tennessee, and it's going to be a pivotal one that could set the tone of the entire season.

But one Jets insider says Saleh was expecting to face his old team this early in the season, and he wasn't surprised to be facing the Jets so early in his tenure with the Titans.

Rich Cimini reveals Robert Saleh was 'expecting' Week 1 Jets matchup

ESPN's Rich Cimini reported on his show, The Jets Collective, that it was revealed to him by talking with people close to Saleh that he knew a Week 1 matchup between the Jets and Titans was incredibly likely.

"It'll be an interesting game, you know, and I know Saleh, just from talking to people who know him, he was expecting this matchup. He was not surprised at all by this being set up against the Jets. He just knew this, like we all did. We all had a feeling that this was going to be the matchup."
Rich Cimini

To Cimini's point, it almost felt like a given that the Jets and Titans would be facing off in Week 1 once it was revealed the two franchises were on each other's schedule.

Not only is Saleh the head coach, but they also boast several former Jets players across their defense.

Defensive linemen John Franklin-Myers and Solomon Thomas will play major roles on the interior, while pass rushers Jacob Martin and Jermaine Johnson get after opposing quarterbacks. Heck, even safety Tony Adams found a spot with his former coach despite poor play in 2025.

Week 1 will be a grudge match to end all grudge matches, as both teams look to prove they're better off without the others.

Charlie Baduini

Charlie Baduini covers the New York Jets as a site expert for The Jet Press and FanSided. He is a sports journalist based in Northern New Jersey with a wide variety of sports reporting experience in print and broadcast journalism. Baduini’s byline can also be seen on Heavy and The Sporting News, where he covers several teams across the NFL and NBA. His work has been featured in Heavy, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, Yahoo Sports, MSN, and Yardbarker. He also serves as a seasonal intern for ESPN, working as a production assistant for the Heisman Trophy Ceremony every year since 2022. Baduini has been a Jets fan for as long as he can remember, with his family's fandom dating back to the 1960s when his grandfather, Louis, became a season ticket holder. His family has since held on to the tickets to this day. He is an avid fan of the New York Knicks and New York Mets.