The New York Jets’ decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh may have been an attempt to shift blame away from quarterback Aaron Rodgers after his underwhelming start to the season. That’s the theory put forth by former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya, who expressed her surprise at the news of Saleh’s dismissal on Tuesday.
Jets owner Woody Johnson sent shockwaves through the NFL by parting ways with Saleh just five games into the 2024 season. The team currently holds a 2-3 record, and while they suffered a disappointing loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London, Saleh still had a chance to lead the Jets to the top of the AFC East with a win against the Buffalo Bills in their upcoming game. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has now been named interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
Tafoya, stunned by the news of Saleh’s departure, pointed out that Aaron Rodgers’ performance has been just as much a factor in the Jets’ struggles as anything else. Speaking on Outkick’s Don’t @ Me With Dan Dakich podcast, Tafoya questioned the decision to fire Saleh, particularly with Rodgers underperforming.
“Wow, that makes you wonder what kinds of conversations were going on, doesn’t it?” Tafoya said after learning of Saleh’s firing. “Yeah, they are definitely underperforming, but so is Aaron Rodgers.”
Rodgers, who joined the Jets with much fanfare, has struggled through the first five games of the season. Completing just 61 percent of his passes and averaging 218.6 yards per game, he’s thrown seven touchdown passes and four interceptions. Despite Rodgers’ presence, the Jets’ offense has managed only 93 points through five games—remarkably the same number of points they scored during the same period last year when Zach Wilson was under center.
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Tafoya speculated that the decision to fire Saleh might have been a way to protect Rodgers from further criticism. “It’s always the coach that goes first because you can’t fire an entire roster, so you go after the head coach,” she explained. “Maybe you go after a coordinator, but I am surprised by this. That’s very early in the season to make that decision.”
She went on to suggest that Rodgers, a high-profile veteran, may hold some influence within the Jets’ organization. “I know there are a number of quarterbacks who are very influential in what goes on in the front office. I would say maybe Aaron might be one of those guys,” Tafoya said. “But I was under the impression that they got along, that Aaron is very close to the offensive coordinator in New York… this is a strange one to me.”
Tafoya concluded by pondering whether Saleh’s firing was an attempt to deflect blame from Rodgers, who hasn’t met the high expectations that came with his arrival. “A lot of people want to point the finger at Aaron, maybe this is a way to shift blame. I don’t know, this is fascinating to me.”
In a statement following Saleh’s dismissal, Jets owner Woody Johnson revealed that while he spoke with Rodgers the night before the decision was made, the head coach’s fate was not part of their conversation. Johnson maintained that Rodgers had no input in the firing and that the choice was ultimately his own, with consultation from general manager Joe Douglas.
Johnson explained that he believed a change in leadership was necessary to maximize the team’s potential and finally break the Jets’ long playoff drought. The franchise has not reached the postseason since 2011, when they lost in the AFC Championship game—a drought Johnson had hoped to end when he hired Saleh in 2021.
Saleh, the NFL’s first Muslim head coach, departs with a 20-36 record after failing to lead the Jets to the playoffs in any of his three full seasons.
His tenure was marred by instability at the quarterback position, as Saleh had to navigate through six different starting quarterbacks, including Zach Wilson, Mike White, Trevor Siemian, Tim Boyle, Joe Flacco, and finally, Aaron Rodgers. Despite his best efforts, Saleh’s time with the Jets was defined by inconsistency and missed opportunities.
With the Jets now turning to Jeff Ulbrich as interim head coach, the focus will shift to how the team moves forward under new leadership and whether Rodgers can turn things around in the second half of the season.
The situation remains fluid, with many questioning if Saleh was simply a scapegoat for the team’s broader issues.
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