New York Jets coach Robert Saleh during a game against the Minnesota Vikings, in London, England, on Oct. 6.Kirby Lee/Reuters
Robert Saleh insisted no one was panicked about the New York Jets’ slow start. A day later, he was out of a job.
Owner Woody Johnson made the stunning decision Tuesday to fire Saleh five games into his fourth season after the team’s 2-3 start following a 23-17 loss to Minnesota in London on Sunday.
“This morning, I informed Robert Saleh that he will no longer serve as head coach of the Jets,” Johnson said in a statement issued by the team. “I thanked him for his hard work these past 3 1/2 years and wished him and his family well moving forward.
“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.”
Saleh was 20-36 as coach of the Jets, who are trying to snap the NFL’s longest active playoff drought at 13 seasons. The move marks the first time in Johnson’s 25-year tenure that a head coach has been fired during the season.
Defensive co-ordinator Jeff Ulbrich will serve as interim coach for the rest of the season – with the Jets maintaining expectations to make the playoffs.
“He is a tough coach who has the respect of the coaches and players on this team,” Johnson said. “I believe he along with the coaches on this staff can get the most out of our talented team and attain the goals we established this off-season.”
The surprising move came a day after Saleh said he was confident Aaron Rodgers and the Jets would be able to turn things around after losing two straight, including falling to undefeated Minnesota. Rodgers had his worst game with New York, throwing three interceptions.
“There’s so much football to be played,” Saleh said Monday. “There’s so many things that we can get better at, and there’s so many things that we can continue to build on, the things that we are doing well.
“So, I’m not panicked. Nobody in the building is panicked.”
But apparently Johnson had seen enough from Saleh, who became the NFL’s first coach fired this season. Saleh, who had one year remaining on his contract, had the worst winning percentage – .357 – of any Jets coach with at least 40 games.
It’s the 12th time since 2000 that a team has changed coaches just five games or fewer into a season, with six coming in the last six seasons. Matt Rhule was the most recent, having been fired by Carolina after five games in 2022.
The Jets face the Buffalo Bills (3-2) on Monday night, when they have a chance to share the AFC East lead with a victory. But instead of Saleh, it will be the 47-year-old Ulbrich leading the team on the sideline.