Robert Saleh became the first head coaching domino to fall this season when he was fired by the New York Jets Tuesday.
The decision came from Jets owner Woody Johnson, who was less than thrilled with the team's 2–3 record through the first five weeks of the season.
Later Tuesday, Johnson clarified one key component of the decision to fire Saleh, as he stated Aaron Rodgers was not a factor in the team's coaching change.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Johnson said that he and Rodgers spoke as recently as Monday night, but claimed the topic of Saleh's departure was not discussed, and that Rodgers did not have any input into the decision.
Saleh had been at the helm for New York since 2021 and had recorded a .357 winning percentage through his first three-and-a-half seasons. Despite an abundance of talent on the roster in 2024, the team has struggled on offense early in the season and has failed to score more than 24 points in any game.
Rodgers' return from last year's Achilles injury had been expected to provide the missing piece for the Jets to compete for a Super Bowl, but the team looked far from a contender in recent weeks, prompting Johnson to make the change.
Despite New York's offense ranking near the bottom of the league in various key statistical categories, offensive coordinator and Rodgers's former quarterbacks coach with the Green Bay Packers, Nathaniel Hackett, was not let go.
While plenty speculated Rodgers was pulling the strings behind the Jets' coaching change, Johnson attempted to shift the narrative and make clear that the decision to fire Saleh was entirely his doing.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Woody Johnson Clarifies Aaron Rodgers's Role in Jets' Ousting of Robert Saleh.
