New York Jets fire head coach Robert Saleh
NEW YORK -- The New York Jets have fired head coach Robert Saleh just five games into the season, the team announced on Tuesday.
Saleh was named head coach in January 2021, becoming the NFL's first Muslim head coach. During his tenure, the Jets went 20-36, all part of the NFL's longest active playoff drought, which stands at 13 seasons.
"This morning, I informed Robert Saleh that he will no longer serve as Head Coach of the Jets. I thanked him for his hard work these past three-and-a-half years and wished him and his family well moving forward," owner Woody Johnson said in a statement. "This was not an easy decision, but we are not where we should be given our expectations, and I believe now is the best time for us to move in a different direction."
Defensive Coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will take over as interim head coach, Johnson confirmed.
"(Ulbrich) is a tough coach who has the respect of the coaches and the players on this team. I believe he along with the coaches on this staff can get the most out of our talented team and attain the goals we established this offseason," Johnson said.
Those goals were lofty, with some even whispering about the Super Bowl. The Jets still hope to make the playoffs for the first time since losing in the AFC Championship game at the end of the 2010 season, and have made numerous moves, specifically during this past offseason, to do so.
Yet, they find themselves 2-3, including a dismal performance in a 10-9 home loss to the Denver Broncos two weeks ago. The Jets followed that up with a brutal start in an eventual 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in London.
The latter was quarterback Aaron Rodgers' worst game with New York as he threw three interceptions and was often running for his life behind an offensive line that has struggled to protect him and open holes in the running game.
Saleh said he was not in panic mode after the Vikings loss
Thanks to the AFC East being thus far a collection of middling teams, the Jets will take on the Buffalo Bills next Monday night at MetLife Stadium with a chance to take over first place.
On Monday, Saleh said he was confident they would be able to turn things around.
"There's so much football to be played," he told reporters. "There's so many things that we can get better at, and there's so many things that we can continue to build on, the things that we are doing well."
"So, I'm not panicked," he added. "Nobody in the building is panicked."
This is the first time in owner Johnson's 25-year tenure a head coach has been fired during a season. The last time the Jets let a head coach go in-season was in 1975, when Charley Winner was dismissed after a 2-7 start and replaced by Ken Shipp on an interim basis. Lou Holtz was hired prior to the start of the following season but resigned after starting 3-10.
Who is Jeff Ulbrich?
Ulbrich, who played linebacker for 10 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, joined the Jets as part of Saleh's initial staff in 2021. He was an an assistant with Atlanta for six seasons before coming to New York.
The Jets defense has not been the problem in the early going of the 2024 season. The unit is currently ranked second in the NFL, allowing only 256 yards per game, and is tied for fifth in scoring defense, allowing just 17 points per game.
And the defense has been doing it despite not having holdout edge rusher Haason Reddick all season, losing defensive end Jermaine Johnson to a season-ending Achilles' injury, and playing the last few games without all-everything middle linebacker CJ Mosley due to a toe injury.
Ulbrich will be tasked with turning around an offense that has been equally as bad. The Jets are currently 27th in total offense, averaging 287 yards per game, and 25th in scoring, averaging 18.6 points per game.
Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett's status
Despite all of their problems on offense, the Jets reportedly are not looking to replace offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
Hackett, who was hired prior to last season to run the offense following a forgettable one-year spin as head coach in Denver, is known to be a favorite of Rodgers' due to their relationship while the future Hall of Fame quarterback was winning MVP awards in Green Bay.
It remains to be seen if Rodgers, who the Jets have seemingly hitched their wagons to for as long as the 40-year-old decides to keep playing, was consulted on the decision to fire Saleh, and if he might have had some influence on Hackett's current standing with the team.
Hackett's play-calling has been called into question periodically during the Jets' slow start, specifically how they have abandoned the running game and asked Rodgers to attempt 96 passes over the last two games. This despite having two talented running backs in Breece Hall and rookie Braelon Allen, who combined for just 18 total touches in the loss to the Vikings.
One thing is certain: Ulbrich, Hackett and the rest of the coaches on the offensive side of the ball are going to have to figure out a way to get better play from the rebuilt offensive line. Rodgers has already been sacked 13 times this season and the Jets are averaging an NFL-low 80.4 yards per game on the ground.
Stick with CBS News New York for the latest updates on this developing story.