The NFL has its first head-coach firing of 2024. And it’s a doozy. The New York Jets have fired head coach Robert Saleh, meaning there will be a new head coach on the opposite sideline when the Pittsburgh Steelers face them in Week 7. ESPN’s Adam Schefter and several other media outlets reported the change Tuesday morning.
While the Jets have struggled under Saleh, it’s still a stunning move to occur this early into the season. The Jets are 2-3 through five games having dropped their Week 5 contest to the Minnesota Vikings in London, coming out flat before their rally fell short in a 23-17 loss. It was the team’s second-straight loss after falling to the Denver Broncos the week prior.
Per Peter Schrager, DC Jeff Ulbrich will serve as the Jets’ interim head coach. Hired in 2021 as the team’s defensive coordinator, he’s never been a head coach before. He served as the Atlanta Falcons’ assistant head coach in 2020.
The move comes at a time when the Jets have been considered the favorites to land WR Davante Adams and reunite him with QB Aaron Rodgers. It’s unclear how impactful this move will be to those odds, but a midseason coaching change is a sign of instability and creates future uncertainty that might not appeal to Adams, especially assuming whoever trades for him wants to restructure his contract to keep him beyond 2024.
UPDATE (11:12 AM): Jets’ owner Woody Johnson has released a statement on Saleh’s firing.
According to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, Saleh’s dismissal came in swift order. He was immediately escorted out by security and not given the chance to address the team one final time.
Hired in 2021, Saleh had yet to have a winning season. He went 4-13 his first season followed by back-to-back 7-10 seasons. New York went all in to acquire Rodgers in a trade with the Green Bay Packers ahead of 2023 but Rodgers’ season ended four plays in due to a torn Achilles. It left New York floundering at quarterback the rest of the season. For his Jets tenure, Saleh went 20-36.
Saleh faced the Steelers once in his career, the Jets coming from behind in 2022 with two late touchdowns in a 24-20 victory. It was Kenny Pickett’s NFL debut after replacing veteran Mitch Trubisky at halftime.
Pittsburgh will host the New York Jets on Oct. 20, a Sunday night game.
