Former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh reportedly tried to bring in new offensive mind in offseason

Would Robert Saleh still be with the New York Jets if he had been able to add a new offensive coach in the offseason?

The Jets surprisingly fired Saleh as head coach earlier this week following last Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings that dropped the team to 2-3. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was named interim head coach.

Jets owner Woody Johnson personally told Saleh that his services were no longer needed.

“This is probably the best team I’ve had in 25 years,” Johnson told reporters, via ESPN.com. “I just felt that the best way to go forward was a new direction. Taking Jeff Ulbrich and making him the interim head coach, I thought that would get the most out of this team and give us the best chance that we all want to have, which is going to the playoffs.”

One of the big reasons Saleh was fired was because of the Jets’ inept offense under offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. The Jets hired Hackett prior to the 2023 season after he lasted less than one year as Denver Broncos head coach. Hackett was Aaron Rodgers’ offensive coordinator with the Green Bay Packers.

Last year, the Jets finished 29th in offense, and through the first five games of the 2024 season, they rank 27th. New York is averaging just 18.6 points and 286.6 yards per game.

Who did Robert Saleh talk to in the offseason?

Saleh “tried to recruit multiple different offensive coaches during the offseason,” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports.

According to Russini, the Jets spoke to UCLA OC Eric Bieniemy (former OC for the Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Commanders), Commanders’ OC Kliff Kingsbury (former Arizona Cardinals head coach, Las Vegas Raiders’ OC Luke Getsy, and Pittsburgh Steelers’ OC Arthur Smith (former Atlanta Falcons head coach).

“Saleh wanted to add a great mind to the offensive staff, and if he had succeeded, he might still have a job, but it proved too difficult to make an addition since he didn’t have an ‘offensive coordinator’ title to offer,” Russini reported.

Rodgers was reportedly involved in the process to add a new offensive coach into the mix, but a new coach didn’t materialize, and Saleh ran it back with the offense he had.

Meanwhile, Ulbrich has demoted Hackett, and passing game coordinator Todd Downing will be calling plays.

Despite the lackluster play so far this season, the Jets still have a chance to sit atop the AFC East. If the Jets beat the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, New York will be in first place.

The Jets are 2.5-point home underdogs against the Bills.