Kyle Shanahan stunned by Jets firing Robert Saleh ahead battle for divisional lead vs Bills - "That stuff throws you off"
The New York Jets shocked fans on Tuesday morning by firing erstwhile-head coach Robert Saleh just under a week before hosting the Buffalo Bills with the AFC East lead on the line. According to reports, Saleh had gone to the practice facility, as was his normal routine, only to be led to a meeting room, where franchise executives were waiting. He was later reportedly escorted out of the premises.
Later that evening, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, whom Saleh had previously served as defensive coordinator, gave his thoughts on the decision. He said:
“Yeah, I was pretty shocked. That stuff throws you off, especially when they're competing for first in the division this week and I think they're up there on defense and have got a pretty good team and a chance to have a hell of a year. So that was pretty surprising.”
The Jets will be led by defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich in the meantime. Saleh, meanwhile, has yet to address the matter.
Analyzing Jets' firing of head coach Robert Saleh
It is no secret that Robert Saleh managed to create a top-shelf defense between 2022 and 2023, boasting the likes of CJ Mosley, Jermaine Johnson II, Sauce Gardner, and the Williams brothers Quinnen and Quincy. However, it was always his offense that doomed him, especially with Zach Wilson.
The blockbuster trade for Aaron Rodgers was supposed to solve that problem, but he tore his Achilles just four snaps into his first game with Gang Green. And after his recovery and return, he has been inconsistent, being prolific in one game, then underwhelming the next.
The quarterback, at least according to former Green Bay Packers teammate James Jones, must have been a driving force behind the decision to fire Saleh.
"He has something to do with it, the whole offense has something to do with it because they did not win these last two games that they should've won if the offense played their part," Jones said. "But Aaron Rodgers going up to the top saying, ‘I don't want Robert Saleh'? That's not even Aaron man."
Woody Johnson has reiterated that Rodgers did not play a role in the firing.
Colin Cowherd, meanwhile, has put some of the blame on Saleh for alienating the four-time MVP:
"He just couldn't keep things to himself. Remember when he said, ‘This is an unexcused absence' during minicamp? Remember when he said, ‘Aaron Rodgers will not play in the preseason?' Aaron was mystified by that. When (Saleh) banged on Aaron Rodgers, the best cadence quarterback in the NFL probably in my entire life, (he) fired back."
However, there are some who believe that much-maligned offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett should have been the one to get the axe. First Things First co-host, Chris Broussard, is one of them:
"What is Hackett doing other than looking terrible with his boy, Aaron Rodgers?... Had Rodgers played fairly well the last two weeks, they'd be 4-1 — at the very least 3-2 — and Robert Saleh would still be the head coach."
Meanwhile, CBS's Jonathan Jones reports that Saleh had wanted to replace Hackett with passing game coordinator Todd Downing before he was fired.