NY Jets handled Robert Saleh firing in the most embarrassing way possible

The NY Jets made the controversial decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday. The decision, seemingly led by owner Woody Johnson, was already a contentious one, but the way the team handled his departure makes the move look even more embarrassing.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz is reporting that not only was Saleh blindsided by his firing this morning, but the team actually had him escorted out of the building by security following his meeting with Woody and Christopher Johnson.

It gets even worse. The Jets reportedly did not allow Saleh to speak to his players after he received the news. Saleh simply showed up to work expecting a normal workday, was informed he was being fired, and was then escorted out of the building.

This is not how teams normally handle coach firings, of course. It's common for teams to allow coaches to address their players one final time, and it's very uncommon for teams to use security to escort the coach out of the building. The Jets notably did not do that with Adam Gase when he was let go.

But the Jets aren't a normal football team. We know that by now.

The NY Jets humiliated Robert Saleh after firing him

The decision to fire Saleh isn't inherently an incorrect one. While the Jets' defense has performed at a high level through five weeks, there have been red flags to consider with Saleh's head-coaching tenure.

The Jets have repeatedly failed to stack positive results. Players have been openly calling for more accountability. Saleh was just 20-36 during his time with the Jets. The firing may have come out of left field, but you could certainly argue it was justified.

Of course, the same can't really be said about the team's decision to retain Nathaniel Hackett and the entire offensive staff, but that's a different conversation. Firing Saleh makes some degree of sense as the Jets hope to save their season.

There's no excuse for handling a firing in this fashion, however. It is not commonplace for teams to escort coaches out of the building with security, let alone a coach who was seemingly beloved by players in the locker room.

Saleh's firing is not going to sit well with many players on the Jets' roster, and the refusal to allow him to even speak to the team likely doesn't help matters. But that's Woody Johnson for you. That's the Jets.

This organization doesn't operate like others. They march to the beat of their own drum, oftentimes to their own detriment.

Maybe Robert Saleh deserved to be fired. Maybe the Jets will be better off now that he's gone. But there's no justification for how the team handles this situation. The dysfunction continues.

*SNY's Connor Hughes is reporting (likely on behalf of the Jets) that Saleh was NOT escorted out of the building by security. Take that as you will.

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