New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh is clarifying his remarks about quarterback Aaron Rodgers, following the team's loss on Sunday to the Denver Broncos. Saleh is defending his quarterback, after initially criticizing Rodgers' cadence during the game.
“We're always going to push the envelope with cadence. Always,” Saleh said Monday, per ESPN. “But with regards to operation, getting in and out of the huddle, getting to the line of scrimmage, the communication that's being had, those are all things that we can continue to look at and clean up.
“But from a cadence standpoint, that's part of what makes us who we are, and we're going to continue to always push the envelope on that.”
Saleh's comments Monday seem to contrast what he said immediately after the team's Week 4 game against the Broncos. Following that disappointing loss, the head coach seemed frustrated with Rodgers' cadence.
“We've got to figure it out, whether or not we're good enough or ready to handle all the cadence,” Saleh said Sunday, per the outlet. “Cadence had not been an issue all camp. Felt like our operation had been operating pretty good. Obviously, today it took a major step back.”
The Jets couldn't manage a touchdown against the Broncos, despite posting 13 possessions. New York also played a sloppy game with penalties all over the place. The Jets are now 2-2 on the season.
Jets have enormous pressure on them to win games this year
The Jets are desperate for a trip to the postseason, as veteran gunslinger Rodgers missed the entire 2023 season with an injury. The team paid good money to bring him in in 2023, after leaving Green Bay.
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Saleh also has pressure to win, as the coach is still looking for his first winning campaign as a head coach. Saleh is on the hot seat, and fans are frustrated by all the penalties and mistakes that have plagued the team's offense. This includes the struggle to protect the quarterback, as Rodgers got beaten up pretty hard by the Broncos defense.
“To be honest, it'd make you sick if he was a 20-year-old quarterback,” Saleh added.
The pressure on the Jets to win this season is so great, that even the team's general manager hasn't been given a contract extension. Jets GM Joe Douglas is in the last year of his contract. He played a pivotal role in putting Rodgers on the roster.
The Jets play the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, in a game being played in London.
