Jets fire Robert Saleh after 2-3 start, tab Jeff Ulbrich interim

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Upset by the group’s 2-3 begin, New York Jets proprietor Woody Johnson made a shocking and unprecedented transfer Tuesday morning, firing coach Robert Saleh and naming defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich because the interim head coach.

Johnson, along with his first in-season teaching change in 25 years of possession, stated he consulted with basic supervisor Joe Douglas however known as it “my determination and mine alone.” Woody Johnson and his brother, Christopher Johnson, the vice chairman, broke the information to Saleh in his workplace on the group facility.

Saleh was shocked, sources stated. He was escorted to his automobile by the director of safety, a supply confirmed, in what was described as protocol.

In an announcement launched Wednesday, Saleh stated he was “grateful to have had the chance to work with so many unbelievable individuals [in the Jets’ organization]. I’ll at all times be appreciative of the love and help from everybody at 1 Jets Drive.”

He added, “To all the gamers, I actually love and respect each single certainly one of you. The character of the lads within the locker room made teaching you guys the last word privilege. Via all of the ups and downs, every certainly one of you confirmed up on a regular basis and attacked each second. To my fellow coaches and employees, it has been an honor to work with all of you. Each certainly one of you have been ‘all in’ and made sacrifices for each other that can by no means be forgotten. I want you all the perfect of luck for the rest of the season.”

He additionally thanked the “passionate” Jets’ fan base for “embracing my household.”

“It has been a pleasure calling New York our house and we are going to endlessly respect all the reminiscences that have been created right here,” he stated.

Saleh, who promised a number of championships when he was employed in 2021, completed with a 20-36 document and nil playoff appearances. The Jets have a 13-year playoff drought, the longest energetic drought within the NFL, however they started the season with Tremendous Bowl expectations, largely due to quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

“That is in all probability the perfect group I’ve had in 25 years,” Johnson stated on a convention name with reporters. “I simply felt that the easiest way to go ahead was a brand new path. Taking Jeff Ulbrich and making him the interim head coach, I assumed that may get essentially the most out of this group and provides us the perfect likelihood that all of us need to have, which goes to the playoffs.”

The Jets’ Week 4 loss to the Denver Broncos shook the group. The subsequent day, the Johnsons and group president Hymie Elhai expressed their issues to Saleh in a gathering, in keeping with a number of sources. In a way, Saleh was teaching for his job Sunday in London, the place the Jets dropped their second straight recreation — a 23-17 loss to the undefeated Minnesota Vikings.

“It is not simply the final two video games that has precipitated this determination; it is a longer time-frame,” Johnson stated. “I’ve had a pair years to consider this, and, yeah, I simply suppose we will do higher. The group can do higher as we have now this new management.”

Ulbrich, in a midafternoon video convention with reporters, described the change as “4 hours of craziness.” He addressed your entire group Tuesday, saying his message to the gamers was “it is time to lock arms.”

He has some massive selections to make within the subsequent 24 hours because the Jets start preparations for Monday evening towards the Buffalo Payments. The largest one entails embattled offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who might be stripped of his playcalling duties. Ulbrich was noncommittal, although he did say he would seek the advice of with Rodgers. A supply confirmed that Saleh was ready to demote Hackett, solely to be fired himself simply minutes later.

“I don’t see adjustments in, essentially, titles and positions,” Ulbrich stated. “So far as obligations and the method itself, we’ll take a tough take a look at that.”

That features whether or not Ulbrich will relinquish his defensive playcalling to a different coach on employees.

The struggles on offense, particularly, have pained Johnson. Sources stated he pressured Saleh to vary offensive coordinators after the 2022 season, changing Mike LaFleur with Hackett. The Jets traded for Rodgers, who, after lacking almost your entire 2023 season with a torn Achilles, has did not elevate the unit this season.

Addressing the offense, Johnson stated, “I feel one of many causes that I made a decision to make a training change on the highest stage is strictly that. We have to discover methods to win, and so we’re not going to search out these methods by doing the identical factor time and again and over.”

Below Saleh, the Jets began six quarterbacks: Zach Wilson (33 video games), Mike White (7), Rodgers (6), Joe Flacco (5), Trevor Siemian (3) and Tim Boyle (2).

“We have been underperforming for regardless of the cause, and we’ll take a tough take a look at all of it,” Ulbrich stated, talking of your entire group.

“I actually consider, we lock arms, we decide to the method that we put in place, and we may have success. We’ll,” Ulbrich added.

Regardless of the Sept. 30 assembly with Saleh and group brass, there was a way within the group that Johnson would wait a number of weeks earlier than making any main adjustments if the shedding continued. On Monday, Saleh expressed confidence that they might get it circled, telling reporters, “I am not panicked. No person within the constructing is panicked.”

Nonetheless, there have been indicators of locker room grumbling after the loss in London.

“I will be trustworthy, individuals get uninterested in listening to the identical s—,” linebacker Quincy Williams advised SNY. “Folks need to take accountability from the highest to the underside. That is all I’ve to say. … Folks have to start out taking accountability. I am uninterested in saying the identical factor each week.”

Johnson stated Rodgers had no enter into the teaching change. He stated he spoke to Rodgers after Sunday’s recreation, claiming Saleh’s standing or a possible transfer wasn’t mentioned.

There had been hypothesis of a rift between Saleh and Rodgers, courting to Saleh’s determination to high-quality the four-time MVP for taking a trip to Egypt throughout the necessary minicamp. Publicly, each males denied any friction of their relationship.

Regardless of the two-game shedding streak, the Jets are just one recreation out of first place within the AFC East. Their recreation towards the Payments (3-2) is for a share of the division lead.

Ulbrich, 47, a former longtime San Francisco 49ers linebacker, was employed by Saleh because the defensive coordinator in 2021. Below Ulbrich and Saleh, the Jets have emerged as a perennial top-five protection. Ulbrich, a Pete Carroll disciple recognized for his vitality and upbeat character, has no earlier head-coaching expertise.

An October firing is not unprecedented within the NFL. In 2022, the Carolina Panthers fired Matt Rhule after Week 5. Lane Kiffin was fired by the Raiders after Week 4 in 2008. The one group in Tremendous Bowl period to make the playoffs in the identical season after altering coaches was the 2021 Raiders, who promoted Wealthy Bisaccia to interchange Jon Gruden. In that case, Gruden resigned after a report that he used anti-gay, misogynistic language in emails.

Johnson has employed seven full-term head coaches in his tenure.

“I’ve had sufficient expertise doing this stuff,” he stated. “It is the primary time I’ve completed it this early, however … I assumed — and suppose — that this can assist the group, assist this proficient group obtain the objectives that the group needs and that I would like and the followers need.”