The 2023 season did not go as well as the New York Jets had hoped that it would. They entered the season with high hopes after acquiring Aaron Rodgers to lead their offense. But, an injury sustained in the first game of the season led to their goals not being achieved.
The Jets finished with a disappointing 7-10 record, which many people thought would lead to some changes. Ultimately, New York is essentially running it back as they are retaining the coaching staff and front office personnel. If there are going to be any changes, it will come on the roster.
While everyone is seemingly getting a redo because of the Rodgers injury, head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas have been put on notice. After comments made by owner Woody Johnson at the NFL Honors Awards show on Thursday, those two are officially on the hot seats.
NFL NEWS & RUMORS: Woody Johnson, Robert Saleh, Joe Douglas, New York Jets Updates
Johnson provided specific mandates of what he wants to see from his team in 2024 or some major changes will occur. At the very least, the Jets need to make the playoffs otherwise Saleh and Douglas’ jobs are in jeopardy.
“The discussions I’ve had in the last couple of months, they’ve seen me about as mad as I can be with what was going on, with the offense particularly,” Johnson said, according to reports. “We have all this talent, and we have to deploy talent properly. So I think they all got the message. This is it. This is the time to go. We’ve got to produce this year.”
He added: “We have to do a lot better than seven [wins], definitely.”
This is the second straight season the Jets have won seven games under Saleh, who has an 18-33 record overall. The team has found zero success on the field with Douglas running the show, as New York has gone 27-60 with him as the general manager.
Douglas was hired in 2019 from the Philadelphia Eagles and Johnson was hopeful that he would help turn things around in New York as he did in the City of Brotherly Love. While he has unearthed a few gems, the inability for him and his handpicked coaches to find an answer at quarterback has held the team back.
NFL NEWS & RUMORS: Woody Johnson, Robert Saleh, Joe Douglas, New York Jets Updates
Johnson also made an interesting announcement about the responsibilities of the people on the coaching staff. He said that Saleh is going to focus more on the offensive side of the ball, leaving the defense to coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
“He’s going to concentrate on offense,” Johnson said. “He’s got [DC] Jeff [Ulbrich] to kind of do the defense, and we’ve got good special teams. It’s offense, offense, offense.”
Saleh, who has a defensive background, will now have more input on how the Jets offense goes. That unit needs all the help it can get after some truly ugly performances over the last few seasons.
Will Saleh be able to help the team improve on that side of the ball? If he can’t he will be looking for a new job in 2025.
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