What does Robert Saleh’s firing mean for Jets offense Aaron Rodgers? This is what the team management said

Woody Johnson could have said it.

Jeff Ulbrich could have said it.

But when the team owner and interim head coach of the New York Jets were asked about Nathaniel Hackett on Tuesday afternoon, neither would confirm that the offensive coordinator and play-caller are safe, hours after the team fired head coach Robert Saleh.

“We’re going to make changes where changes are needed,” Johnson said. “We know where we are weak and where we are strong. And you too.”

The Jets’ defense ranks fifth in the league in points allowed and second in yards allowed. The offense ranks 25th in scoring and 27th in yardage – despite four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers quarterbacking the unit.

This is the third year in a row that Hackett’s offensive units have struggled. As head coach of the Denver Broncos in 2022, Hackett’s offense ranked last in scoring and 21st in yardage. Last year for the Jets, Hackett’s offense produced the second-worst yardage and fourth-worst scoring offense.

So while Ulbrich said he had “tremendous respect” for “every guy” on the offensive staff, his decision not to confirm that Hackett will continue to play through the season was notable.

“In my opinion, these guys will be here for us on Monday Night Football,” Ulbrich said of the Jets’ upcoming primetime game against the Buffalo Bills. “And they’re going to do a fantastic job. That said, I mean it’s been four hours for me to take on this role. Everything is being assessed: the process, the responsibilities, etc. But I do not foresee any changes in the staff.”

Ulbrich was asked if staff roles could change even if no new staff waivers were expected. In other words, could he hand over play-calling responsibilities to a coach like passing game coordinator Todd Downing, the former offensive coordinator of the Raiders and Titans?

“Yes, we’re going to dig into that in the next 36 hours and look at every possibility, but I don’t see any changes necessarily in titles, in positions,” Ulbrich said. “As for the responsibilities and the process itself, we’re going to look at that carefully.”

How Jets faced questions about job security

Johnson and Ulbrich held calls with reporters after Johnson announced Tuesday morning that he had fired Saleh five games into his fourth season as Jets head coach.

The Jets weren’t 0-5, like Dan Quinn and Jay Gruden were when the Atlanta Falcons and Washington (not yet) Commanders fired them five games in 2020 and 2019, respectively.

They also weren’t 1-4, like Matt Rhule was when the Carolina Panthers fired him in 2022.

The Jets are 2-3. But Johnson believes his team is much more capable than its losing record suggests. That’s why the former U.S. ambassador to Britain made a change between his team’s game in London and Monday’s primetime home game.

“This is one of the most talented teams ever put together by the New York Jets,” Johnson said. “I wanted to give the team the best chance to win this season. I feel like we had to go in a different direction.”

The Jets looked shaky in a 32-19 Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but that could be excused since they were facing the defending NFC champions. A 10-9 loss to the Denver Broncos and Bo Nix, the sixth quarterback drafted this year, was harder to justify in light of the ransom the Jets paid to acquire Rodgers before 2023, a season he ultimately missed due to an Achilles tendon.

Then came the match in London.

Yes, Rodgers faced one of the league’s best defenses in the Brian Flores-coordinated Minnesota Vikings. Still, three interceptions, including a pick 6 from Rodgers, were not enough. The quarterback found top receiver Garrett Wilson for 101 yards and a touchdown, but connected with him on only 13 of 22 targets. According to Next Gen Stats, all 13 were less than 10 air yards.

A running game featuring talented backs in Breece Hall and rookie Braelon Allen managed just 36 yards.

Hackett is essentially Rodgers’ hand-picked coordinator after the two worked together in Green Bay. And the Jets are largely sold out on giving Rodgers the infrastructure he wants in what appears to be a small (and shrinking by the day) window to win in the postseason and justify their trade.

Ulbrich was asked if Rodgers would have given input to his play-caller.

“He clearly has a lot of insight into this offensive system and he was a part of it when it was operating at its highest level,” Ulbrich said. “I think Aaron will be part of a lot of conversations.”

What is Aaron Rodgers’ role in a changing tide?

Was Rodgers part of the conversation to fire Saleh?

That question is complicated.

The relationship between Rodgers and Saleh has been in the public eye several times.

There was Rodgers’ trip to Egypt during mandatory minicamp in June, when Saleh publicly said the quarterback faced an unexcused absence.

During Thursday Night Football against the Patriots, a sideline clip of Saleh trying to hug Rodgers went viral after Rodgers pushed his coach away. The two downplayed the interaction.

The following week, Saleh wondered if Rodgers’ cadence was working for the Jets against the Denver Broncos. Rodgers then joked on stage that the franchise should hold players more accountable instead of changing their process.

Johnson said he spoke with Rodgers on Monday night before firing Saleh on Tuesday morning.

“I talked to him the night before, but we didn’t discuss this specifically at all,” Johnson said. “We were actually talking about the last game, about breaking 60,000 meters and reaching that, and we were sorry that he got hit so many times, and how he felt.

“As for whether or not I would do it, no, we haven’t discussed that.”

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Ulbrich said it was too early to determine whether he would continue his role as a defensive play-caller while overseeing gameday operations as head coach, but “everything is on the table.”

Ulbrich echoed Johnson’s sentiment that the team had the necessary ingredients to pursue postseason goals. The interim head coach and Rodgers talked about the importance of introducing an “element of change” in the post-Saleh era.

Could that mean more downfield passing for Rodgers or a different degree of freedom at the line of scrimmage? It’s too early to tell. But the Jets want to see change – and they want to see it now.

Their 3-2 division rivals will visit on Monday night whether they are ready or not.

“I think one of the reasons I decided to make a coaching change at the highest level is exactly that: We have to find ways to win,” Johnson said. “We’re not going to find those ways by doing the same thing over and over again.”