NY Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters on Monday that he does not anticipate any changes to his coaching staff entering the 2024 season. Saleh said that comes of his coaches might receive opportunities elsewhere, but he does not expect to make any internal changes.
This doesn’t come as much of a surprise, given the reports that have surfaced in recent weeks. Jets owner Woody Johnson publicly expressed support for both Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas. All signs pointed to Saleh retaining his assistants and offensive coaches as well.
That was confirmed on Monday. The Jets will not be making any changes to their coaching staff. In essence, they’re giving everyone a mulligan due in large part to the Aaron Rodgers injury.
That philosophy is representative of a much larger issue that plagued the Jets’ 2023 season. To be blunt, it’s a loser mindset — and it’s why the Jets weren’t able to be competitive for much of the year.
The NY Jets gave up on this season
In reality, the Jets decided to punt on the 2023 season the moment they found out that Rodgers had torn his Achilles. Their inaction and overall complacency in the months that followed solidified that notion.
The Jets deemed it to be impossible to compete without Rodgers this season. Of course, look no further than the injury-riddled Cleveland Browns for proof of the contrary.
The Browns won 11 games and were able to rest their starters for the final game of the season despite being forced to resort to a fourth-string quarterback behind a depleted offensive line and a roster riddled with injuries.
Sound familiar? It should. That’s the same scenario the Jets found themselves in — and you can very easily argue the Browns had it even worse with their injuries. While the Jets’ inept offense was kept afloat by their star running back, Breece Hall, the Browns lost their star running back, Nick Chubb, in Week 2.
The Browns were led to the playoffs by a quarterback they signed off the street (coincidentally, a quarterback who was on the Jets’ roster each of the last three seasons). They were carried by a stout defense that helped mask the flaws of their offense.
The Jets could’ve done that. They were 4-3 at one point with wins over the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills and a near-victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. They had roster flaws, sure, but the trade deadline presented a perfect opportunity to address their needs.
The Jets sat on their hands at the deadline, again, largely because they had already given up on the 2023 season.
In the end, the Jets finished with one of the worst offenses in modern NFL history, a completely inept offensive line, and putrid quarterback play. In any other situation, multiple coaches would lose their jobs over it.
Instead, the coaching staff was given a pass on the season because the injuries they faced were deemed insurmountable, all while a team in their own conference with arguably worse injury luck is in the playoffs competing for a Super Bowl.
That’s a complete and utter organizational failure from top to bottom. It’s representative of the complacency within the walls at Florham Park. It’s why the 2023 season was a complete waste of time for everyone involved.
Jets players and this fan base deserved better.
