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Former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh reportedly told FOX Sports' Jay Glazer that he was "blindsided" by his firing on Tuesday (October 8).
"Just talked to Robert Saleh who said was blindsided by Woody Johnson walking to his office and letting him go. Certainly disappointed he wasn’t going to be given the opportunity to get things going with what he said is a very good roster," Glazer wrote on his X account.
Jets owner Woody Johnson officially confirmed Saleh's firing in a statement shared by the team Tuesday morning.
"This morning, I informed Robert Saleh that he will no longer serve as the Head Coach of the Jets," team owner Woody Johnson said in a statement. "I thanked him for his hard work these past three-and-a-half 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."
Johnson confirmed that defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich would serve as interim head coach.
Saleh, 45, went 20-36 during his tenure as the Jets' head coach, which includes a 2-3 start to the 2024 season. New York finished last in the AFC East during Saleh's first two seasons and third in 2023, having entered with high expectations following the acquisition of four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury on the team's opening drive.
Rodgers has played in all five of the Jets' games in 2024, but struggled in losses to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday (October 6) and Denver Broncos in Week 4. The Jets will host the AFC East Division rival Buffalo Bills for a Monday Night Football matchup at MetLife Stadium in Week 6.