New report reveals extent of Jets regret after Mike LaFleur lands HC job

The New York Jets have made no shortage of mistakes over the years, and the list of regrets is a long one. One of those missteps was thrust back into the spotlight on Sunday after former offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur was named the new head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.

LaFleur spent two seasons as the Jets’ offensive coordinator from 2021 to 2022 and, despite the team’s quarterback (read: Zach Wilson) struggles during that stretch, earned enough respect to draw significant praise from around the league.

The largely Woody Johnson-led decision to fire LaFleur was widely criticized at the time, and it's only come to look even worse as the former Robert Saleh assistant has rehabilitated his career as Sean McVay's offensive coordinator in Los Angeles.

Now, just three years after he was unceremoniously ousted by the Jets, LaFleur has landed a head coaching opportunity. It's safe to say the Jets as an organization regret their decision in hindsight, and it seems many players do as well.

Jets players openly regret the team's Mike LaFleur decision

The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt reported on Sunday that in the wake of LaFleur's firing, "various Jets players admitted privately that they regretted not fighting more to keep" their former coach.

Rosenblatt also reported that some Jets players believed the team needed a new offensive coordinator following the 2022 season. That mindset ultimately led the Jets to hire Nathaniel Hackett, a move largely driven by their pursuit of Aaron Rodgers.

While that strategy did succeed in bringing Rodgers to Florham Park, players quickly became aware of the realities of operating in a Hackett-led offense. Many of the same players who had pushed for a new coordinator soon came to regret that decision.

The ripple effect of the Jets choosing to keep LaFleur is fascinating to consider. Without that change, the team likely never pursues Rodgers and instead pivots toward a different veteran option such as Derek Carr.

That path may have failed as well and still resulted in Robert Saleh’s staff being dismissed, but it remains one of the franchise’s biggest what-if scenarios. That's especially true given LaFleur's career trajectory since leaving the Jets.

As SNY's Connor Hughes pointed out, the Jets' offense under LaFleur ranked top-five in many statistical categories when using a quarterback other than Zach Wilson. That included vaunted names such as Joe Flacco, Mike White, and the legendary Josh Johnson.

Ultimately, Woody Johnson demanded accountability and refused to place the blame on his young quarterback, leaving LaFleur to take the fall. As time goes on, that short-sighted decision continues to look worse and worse.