Robert Saleh, the New York Jets’ head coach, has announced his resignation.
Jets’ Robert Saleh reportedly threatened to take coaches’ phones in order to find leaks.
September 11, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA: New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh watches the first half versus the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports NFL The AthleticBy Sam Neumann on January 31, 2024.
It didn’t take an exposé from The Athletic to realize that the New York Jets are a complete wreck. But Wednesday’s report, written by Dianna Russini and Zack Rosenblatt, highlighted how disorganized the organization is under a paranoid head coach and an offensive coordinator in over his head.
Russini and Rosenblatt interviewed 30 sources inside and outside the organization. They portrayed the idea that the organization was full of excuses after Aaron Rodgers suffered an Achilles injury just three snaps into his Jets career.
That began with head coach Robert Saleh, who reportedly grieved behind closed doors, stating it was “unfair” that the New York Giants did not receive as much negative coverage.
Maybe Saleh has a point, but the Giants’ offensive line did not suffer injuries, and playing three different quarterbacks became a crutch for their head coach to use as an excuse.
Yes, the article states that following a 4-7 start, Saleh reportedly looked into how clubs coached by the NFL’s finest coaches succeeded without their starting quarterback.
With the exception of Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, Saleh’s battle cry became “What do you expect?” as the Jets’ losses accumulated and criticism intensified. “We lost Aaron Rodgers.”
Yes, there was an internal feud between coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, which resulted in the latter’s dismissal.
Still, the Giants appear to be in better shape than the Jets. Even though Daboll has been portrayed negatively in the press this summer, he has never been paranoid enough to insist that members of his coaching staff check at their phones to see who was texting reporters.
No, it was Saleh.
Rosenblatt and Russini reported in December that Zach Wilson was hesitant to return to the starting lineup after being benched in favor of Tim Boyle.
Wilson was told he would be inactive for the rest of the season and traded over the offseason. And who could blame Wilson with an offensive line that included 13 different starting combinations in 17 games?
The issue here is that the Jets were more concerned with the “leaks” in the building than with a player unwilling to play for a dysfunctional team that has stifled his growth and development at every step.
Wilson isn’t blameless in this situation, but why would he want to risk injury after being told he’d be out for the rest of the season and then traded?
After the December story, Aaron Rodgers criticized Russini and stated on The Pat McAfee Show that it was a problem within the organization.
To maintain a winning culture, we must investigate the source of this issue and address it privately. This is not the only time. There have been a number of such leaks.
Rodgers unintentionally exposed himself as the team’s main preoccupation while complaining about “leaks” about a month later.
During his weekly appearances on The Pat McAfee Show, he was notorious for promoting conspiracy theories and accusing ABC employees of pedophilia.
“Anything that has nothing to do with winning should be evaluated. Anything in this building that we are doing, individually or collectively, that has nothing to do with true winning must be evaluated.
“Everything that we do must have a reason,” Rodgers told reporters. To be a winning organization, it’s important to prioritize everything and eliminate unnecessary distractions.
Rodgers’ leak troubles evidently irritated Saleh, who became even more anxious following the Wilson story: