Robert Saleh has been told he has a bright future in the NFL despite being fired by the New York Jets on Tuesday.
Saleh was given his marching orders by owner Woody Johnson after the Jets’ 23-17 defeat to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, which sent them to 2-3 on the season. The loss at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was the final chapter of Saleh’s tenure, which featured three losing seasons before an ill-fated and curtailed fourth year with “Gang Green.”
Saleh, 45, was the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers from 2017-20, building a glowing reputation that earned him his first gig as a head coach. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Saleh’s 20-36 record as Jets head coach will not deter teams from making a run at hiring Saleh to their staff for next season.
Having worked closely with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan for many years, starting in 2005 on Gary Kubiak’s staff at the Houston Texans, Saleh has many allies in high positions across the league, including Green Bay Packers head coach Matt Lafleur, Los Angeles Rams HC Sean McVay and Miami Dolphins boss Mike McDaniel. Schefter believes that will work in Saleh’s favor as he plots his next moves.
“Yesterday, I heard from a number of coaches across the league and they’re like ‘Robert Saleh, great coach’. He’s going to have zero problems getting another defensive coordinator job,” Schefter told “The Pat McAfee Show”.
“All his friends would be interested in bringing him back to their staff. San Francisco, Matt Lafleur is his good friend, Adam Peters in Washington is his good friend. He’s got so many good friends around the league and he’s so respected. Robert Saleh is going to have options next year about where he wants to work in my mind.”
Saleh went 20-36 as the Jets’ head coach (
Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
Saleh issued an emotional statement on Wednesday, thanking the Jets organization for the opportunity and paying tribute to his colleagues and players.
He added: “To the most passionate fanbase in the NFL, thank you for embracing my family. It has been a pleasure calling New York our home and we will forever appreciate all of the memories that were created here. With love and regard. All gas no brake!!!”
Schefter believes Saleh’s tenure in New York came undone partly due to an inability to tune out the noise in America’s loudest market, leaving him “drained”.
“I think working in this market affected him. I think he got a little bit beat up mentally, I think it wore him down a bit and drained some of the enthusiasm he had for the game, Schefter explained
“Unfortunately, he let the outside noise get to him at times. To do that job in any market requires you to put on the blinders and block out the noise as best you can. Inevitably, you can’t keep out all of the noise and if you’re a human being, it’s hard not to left if affect you in some type of way.”
Leave a Reply