The New York Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday after three-plus years with the franchise.
Jets owner Woody Johnson announced Saleh’s firing in a statement. He thanked the 45-year-old for his work in New York but communicated that he expected more of the team than its 2-3 start to the 2024 campaign.
“This was not an easy decision, but we are not where we should be given our expectations,” Johnson wrote. “I believe now is the best time for us to move in a different direction.”
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Saleh posted a record of just 20-36 in 56 games with the Jets. He never had a winning season, peaking with 7-10 campaigns in 2022 and 2023 and never led the Jets to a playoff appearance.
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Saleh’s winning percentage of .357 was the second-worst among active NFL coaches ahead of only New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen (26-49, .347). Saleh ranks 181st in NFL history among 201 qualified candidates for the winning percentage leaderboard, so it’s easy to see why the Jets were dissatisfied with his performance.
NFL fans and media analysts alike seemed to concur that Saleh’s firing was the right move. Some took to social media to express their thoughts about Saleh’s departure, with some cracking jokes about it (at both Saleh and the Jets’ expense) and others defending the coach’s defensive work in New York.
Below are some of the most notable reactions to the 45-year-old’s firing.
Saleh’s time as an NFL head coach didn’t go as planned, but he will still be a coveted commodity during the 2025 NFL coach hiring cycle. He is one of the league’s best defensive coordinators and turned the Jets’ stop unit into one of the league’s best during his three-plus years in New York.
While Saleh will look toward the 2025 NFL season to find employment, the Jets will remain focused on the 2024 season. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will take take over as the team’s interim head coach and will look to break New York’s 13-year playoff drought, which remains the longest active streak in the NFL.
