New York Jets fire coach Robert Saleh after 2-3 start and apparent tension with Aaron Rodgers

The New York Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday amid the team’s disappointing start to this season and apparent tensions between star quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the now-former sideline boss.

Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will act as the team’s interim head coach, the Jets announced, as Saleh leaves Florham Park, New Jersey, with an overall record of 20-26 in a little more than 3 1/4 seasons at the helm.

“This morning, I informed Robert Saleh that he will no longer serve as Head Coach of the Jets,” team 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.”

The team entered this 2024 campaign with high hopes and Rodgers’ return to the huddle after missing nearly all of 2023 with a leg injury.

The Jets were blown out in the season opener by the San Francisco 49ers before rebounding with wins over the woeful Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots.

But the past two weekends have ended in frustrating losses, at home to the Denver Broncos and in London against the Minnesota Vikings.

In addition to the losing, there’s also been perceived tension between Rogers and Saleh.

The Jets committed five false start penalties in the Denver loss and Saleh said it could be linked to the tricky cadence Rodgers employs when barking out pre-snap signals.

And in the win over New England, Rodgers appeared to rebuff an attempted hug from Saleh after a touchdown.

At the time of his hiring, Saleh was celebrated as the first Muslim head coach of an NFL team. He was escorted off of team headquarters by the team’s security director, NBC Sports reported.

“We commend Coach Robert Saleh for making history as the first American Muslim head coach in NFL history,” according to a statement Tuesday by the Council on American Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights organization.

“Although no one should jump to conclusions about why the Jets fired Coach Saleh, the report that Jets security physically escorted Saleh out of the building does raise concerns about the possible motive for such unusual hostility.”

U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., called Saleh’s firing a “raw deal” and pinned the team’s poor fortunes on Rodgers, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett,  the front office and former QB Zach Wilson.

“Robert Saleh got a raw deal and Aaron Rodgers undermined him every step of the way,” Bowman posted on X. ”This was downhill since @nyjets drafted Zach Wilson. Nathaniel Hackett is trash. Saleh kept the defense great through the toughest times. Raw deal.” 

The lame duck lawmaker also wondered out loud if Saleh’s embrace of his Lebanese heritage could have played any role in this termination.

Although Saleh has worn a patch of the Lebanese flag on his in-game gear before, that fashion accessory drew new eyes Sunday in the wake of Israel’s ongoing attack on its northern neighbor.

The 45-year-old Saleh joined the Jets after a successful four-season run as defensive coordinator of the 49ers.

“We are very proud of Robert and the achievements he made in his young career,” American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee Executive Director Abed Ayoub said in a statement.

“As the first Muslim Arab-American NFL head coach, he has paved the way for future talent in our community. We have no doubt that New York is not the last stop on his coaching and football journey. The community will always be there, cheering on his continued success and growth.”

Saleh is also the third coach in this past decade to be fired after his team lost in London.

The Oakland Raiders terminated Dennis Allen in 2014, following an 0-4 start and loss to the Miami Dolphins at Wembley Stadium.

Miami fired Joe Philbin after his 1-3 Dolphins lost in 2015 to the Jets, also at Wembley.