Did Aaron Rodgers Cause The New York Jets To Fire Head Coach Robert Saleh?

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the New York Jets have fired head coach Robert Saleh. The decision comes amid a turbulent season where the team’s playoff hopes have diminished, despite entering the year with high expectations on future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

When the Jets traded for Rodgers, optimism flooded the organization and its fanbase. The Jets were even seen as Super Bowl contenders. However, last season, Rodgers’ season was cut short after just four plays due to a torn Achilles, and the team was forced to rely on a mix of backup quarterbacks. The offense sputtered, leading to inconsistency and a string of painful losses. This season, their record is (2-3) and they are currently tied for second place in the AFC East. But, things have looked weird on the Jets sidelines.

Despite Saleh’s reputation as a defensive guru, his inability to guide the Jets through the adversity of Rodgers’ injury—and Rodgers “other” challenges—ultimately led to his dismissal. Sources suggest that Saleh’s leadership, which had been highly praised during his time with the San Francisco 49ers, struggled to translate in New York’s high-pressure environment.

Though Rodgers was still effective in recent seasons, no one is immune to age or injury, and banking so heavily on a single player—especially one coming off consecutive years of declining mobility—may have been overly ambitious. In hindsight, the Jets’ failure to build a more robust plan around Rodgers, including depth at offensive line protection, exposed the fragility of their Super Bowl dreams.

With Saleh out, the Jets will now begin the search for their next head coach. It’s unclear whether they will opt for another defensive-minded leader or shift toward an offensive guru who can rebuild the offense around Rodgers—or perhaps even move on from the aging star.

The decision to fire Saleh shows the Jets’ impatience and the sky-high expectations set at the start of the season. The team’s gamble on Rodgers was bold, but the risks associated with relying on an aging quarterback have now been laid bare. As the Jets look to regroup, their next steps will determine if they can salvage this chapter or if the Rodgers era will be remembered as a costly misstep.

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