Robert Salah Given Armed Escort Out Of His Office After Being Fired By Jets’ Owner Woody Johnson

The New York Jets have fired head coach Robert Salah after a 2-3 start to the 2024 season and a 20-36 overall record in his tenure. The decision came after the Jets fell 23-17 in London against the Minnesota Vikings.

New York takes on the Buffalo Bills on Monday night football, and if they win, they have a chance to lead the division.

According to reports, New York owner Woody Johnson made the move on his own and did not consult with other front office members. Sources say that Saleh came into work like a typical day; Johnson walked into his office and delivered the news. The former head coach did not receive an opportunity to tell the team, and security escorted him out of the building. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will take over as interim head coach.

Here is part of the press release Johnson wrote after the decision.

“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 was former President Donald Trump‘s ambassador to the United Kingdom, and some in the media believe that the Jets’ embarrassing loss in Britain contributed to the swift decision.

Saleh is the first coach to be fired after five games of a season since the Carolina Panthers fired Matt Rhule in 2022. This is also the first time in Johnson’s tenure as owner that he has parted ways with a coach in the middle of the season.

Reports swirled that quarterback Aaron Rodgers helped push Saleh out, but on the Pat McAfee show, he called them “categorically false.” What is true, however, is that the Jets’ sputtering offense led to Saleh’s dismissal. The Jets have scored over 20 points just once this season against the lowly New England Patriots, and some in the NFL media thought that Saleh would fire offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who had coached Rodgers during his time with the Green Bay Packers.