Robert Saleh was named the head coach of the New York Jets ahead of the 2021 NFL season. He had just spent the last four years as the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, and this was his first shot at being a head coach.
The New York Jets were in need of a spark. They hadn't had a winning season since 2015 and had won just two games in 2020.
Saleh was a sought-after coach from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree. While Saleh's defense struggled in a 6-10 2020 season, he helped the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance in 2019. Expectations were high, and the New York faithful hoped for their first Super Bowl since 1968. Unfortunately, the start of the Saleh era hasn't gone as planned.
Robert Saleh record
| Year | Record |
| 2021 | 4-13 |
| 2022 | 7-10 |
| 2023 | 7-10 |
| 2024, as of Week 2 | 1-1 |
New coaches need a few seasons to develop their game plan and set the standard for expectations. New York last made the playoffs in 2010 and has yet to return to the postseason under Saleh. He dealt with Zach Wilson under center, a failed experiment in his first two years.
Then, when Saleh finally got a quarterback in Aaron Rodgers in 2023, the quarterback suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1 of the 2023 season. It was back to a revolving door of Wilson, Trevor Siemian and Tim Boyle. Surely, some blame has to be on Saleh for how the team has done, but with how bad we know Wilson is, the fact that he won 14 games with him over two years was impressive.
Robert Saleh contract
Saleh was signed to a five-year contract in 2021. It's rare for coaches to see the entirety of their contracts, but Saleh has the chance to if he can make it through the 2025 season. While official contract numbers aren't readily available, the best estimation is that he makes about $5 million annually.
How hot is Robert Saleh's seat?
Saleh is in his fourth season as head coach. Gase, his direct predecessor, only got two seasons, and Todd Bowles before him got four years before getting fired. Even Rex Ryan who made the playoffs in each of his first two seasons at the helm, was then fired after four straight playoff absences. Recent history isn't on Saleh's side.
It's a tough temperature to gauge. Surely, he gets a little leeway with the quarterback situation he has had to work through. The problem is that Rodgers doesn't have many seasons left in him. He is playing this one after tearing his Achilles and will turn 41 years old in December, so the Jets may be reloading at quarterback yet again in 2025.
If Saleh can lead New York to the postseason, it would likely extend his leash. If he and the Jets miss the playoffs for the 14th season in a row, they could be conducting yet another head coaching search this offseason.
Jets 2024 schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV | Tickets |
| 1 | Sept. 9 (Mon.) | 49ers 32, Jets 19 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2 | Sept. 15 | Jets 24, Titans 17 | -- | -- | -- |
| 3 | Sept. 19 (Thurs.) | vs. Patriots | 8:15 p.m. | Amazon | Buy now |
| 4 | Sept. 29 | vs. Broncos | 1:00 p.m. | CBS | Buy now |
| 5 | Oct. 6 | vs. Vikings (in London) | 9:30 a.m. | NFL Network | Buy now |
| 6 | Oct. 14 (Mon.) | vs. Bills | 8:15 p.m. | ESPN | Buy now |
| 7 | Oct. 20 | at Steelers | 8:20 p.m. | NBC | Buy now |
| 8 | Oct. 27 | at Patriots | 1:00 p.m. | CBS | Buy now |
| 9 | Oct. 31 (Thurs.) | vs. Texans | 8:15 p.m. | Amazon | Buy now |
| 10 | Nov. 10 | at Cardinals | 4:25 p.m. | CBS | Buy now |
| 11 | Nov. 17 | vs Colts | 8:20 p.m. | NBC | Buy now |
| 12 | Nov. 24 | BYE | — | — | — |
| 13 | Dec. 1 | vs. Seahawks | 1:00 p.m. | FOX | Buy now |
| 14 | Dec. 8 | at Dolphins | 1:00 p.m. | CBS | Buy now |
| 15 | Dec. 15 | at Jaguars | 1:00 p.m. | FOX | Buy now |
| 16 | Dec. 22 | vs Rams | 1:00 p.m. | CBS | Buy now |
| 17 | Dec. 29 | at Bills | 1:00 p.m. | CBS | Buy now |
| 18 | TBD | vs Dolphins | TBD | TBD | Buy now |
