It only took 5 games for NY Jets fans to start calling for Robert Saleh's job
By Justin Fried
The NY Jets are a bad football team. That much has become very clear following another disaster of a half in "primetime" against the Minnesota Vikings in London. They're a poorly-coached football team, and that falls on the bulky shoulders of head coach Robert Saleh.
The Jets likely aren't going to fire Saleh midseason. Doing so would admit that the current regime is a failure, likely leading to the departures of both general manager Joe Douglas and quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Saleh, Douglas, and Rodgers are tied together at the hip. If one goes, they all go. That's been the understanding since the Jets acquired Rodgers in the 2023 offseason. This is a unique situation.
But based on merit alone, it's become increasingly difficult to justify Saleh's secure job status. In fact, following what appears to be yet another disaster class in London, few would have any qualms if the Jets decided to fire Saleh after this game.
Robert Saleh fighting to save his job in NY Jets-Vikings game
The Jets have tried everything. They acquired a future Hall of Fame quarterback who, despite his struggles today, has played mostly well through four weeks. He entered Week 5 as Pro Football Focus's fourth-highest graded quarterback and was the only starting QB without a turnover-worthy play.
They tried fixing the offensive line, adding three new starters to improve one of the league's worst units. The pass protection has been mostly sound through the first four weeks of the season. The same can't be said about the run blocking.
It's hard to point fingers at a skill position group that features the likes of Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, Mike Williams, Braelon Allen, Tyler Conklin, and Allen Lazard.
The Jets have an offense that should be able to consistently score points in today's NFL. They have a defense that should be able to lean on the strengths of their cornerbacks and linebackers.
Yet, the Jets continue to fall flat in primetime or pseudo-primetime games. They struggle to string together wins. They consistently fall behind early in games. They routinely are among the most penalized teams in the NFL.
Fingers are being pointed at the coaching staff — they're being pointed at Saleh. And right now, the finger-pointing is justified.
Saleh is fighting to save his job in today's game. No, the Jets aren't going to fire him if they lose. But the more the losses pile up, the less likely it is that Saleh will be a head coach in 2025.