Is the Jets' Robert Saleh coaching for his job with these final three games?
Jets head coach Robert Saleh prior to a game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 17, 2023. Credit: Getty Images/Rich Storry
The Jets played like a team that was unprepared and unmotivated in their 30-0 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday. It was the kind of performance that leads to coaches' and executives' seats warming up.
Robert Saleh said he doesn’t feel like he’s coaching to keep his job over the Jets’ final three games. His job security isn’t on his mind, only trying to beat Washington on Christmas Eve.
“There are two types of coaches, those who have been fired and those who are about to get fired, my man,” Saleh said during a video conference call on Monday. “We coach in the moment. We coach to win a football game.”
Saleh hasn’t done enough of that, and that’s why his job is a topic.
The Jets are 5-9 this season and 16-32 overall in Saleh’s three seasons as coach. They were expected to contend for a playoff spot after acquiring Aaron Rodgers, but he tore his Achilles tendon in Week 1 and the offense has been a mess.
Other teams have withstood and overcome the loss of their quarterback or key players much better than the Jets. That reflects on coaching and the roster that general manager Joe Douglas assembled.
The Jets were eliminated from playoff contention for the 13th consecutive year on Sunday and clinched a losing record for the eighth straight season. If the Jets lose Sunday against rebuilding Washington (4-10), Saleh’s seat could get warmer.
The belief has been that Saleh and Douglas are safe because of the Rodgers situation. That could change depending on how the rest of the season plays out.
Saleh said he speaks to Jets owner Woody Johnson every day and “he’s been great."
As if the game wasn’t troubling enough, there were some things that came out of the locker room that weren’t a good look for the coaches.
Allen Lazard said the Jets were “out-schemed” and “out-efforted.” Garrett Wilson backed up what Lazard said. D.J. Reed said he could see “a lack of energy” and that emotions “were kind of down about the whole game.”
Saleh said those assessments were “warranted. We didn’t coach them well enough and we didn’t execute it well enough.” Saleh also said he feels he still has the support of the locker room.
“I think the locker room does a great job of playing for one another, that’s first and foremost,” Saleh said. “From there, yeah, I think this team is still bought in. I think this team still plays for one another. I think this team still loves one another.
“I’ll speak for everyone in that we are frustrated that we haven’t been able to string together some wins, but I do appreciate the way we go out and fight. We just have to find a way to be successful."
A couple of defensive players showed Saleh some support on Monday.
Linebacker C.J. Mosley and defensive tackle Solomon Thomas said Saleh’s message is still resonating in the locker room.
“We have Coach Saleh’s back and he has ours,” Thomas said. “We’re going to play the last three games as strong as we can, finish the season as strong as we can.”
Mosley, a Jets captain, said, “I believe so” when asked about the players receiving Saleh’s message.
According to Mosley, when Saleh, defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich and linebackers coach Mike Rutenberg speak, they often say what’s on his mind or “something that I needed to hear that kept me motivated, that kept me with the mental part just made me get back focused on what’s important to me and my why. I believe in all my coaches.”
Mosley said it’s easy to point the finger at anyone when things go as terribly as they have for the Jets, but the players have to look within first.
“I feel like we have the utmost respect for our coaches,” Mosley said. “We believe every single day that they try to put us in the right positions. They have to trust us to go out there and try to execute and do the right things on the field. … Before we can start asking questions about upstairs or for us down the hall, we got to make sure that we’re doing the right things when we watch the tape and look at what we’re trying to do.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
