National Football League

Aaron Rodgers' influence continues to grow with Jets firing Robert Saleh

Updated Oct. 8, 2024 1:38 p.m. ET

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Henry McKenna

NFL Reporter

Aaron Rodgers' coup d'état is complete.

Robert Saleh — the guy who Rodgers shoved on live television — is no longer the New York Jets head coach. The team fired Saleh on Tuesday.

And Rodgers seems to have increased his influence in New York.

The Jets quarterback has steadily gained power over the organization since New York traded for him in 2023. First, it was in the additions of receivers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb, then offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. 

And then there's the transaction we're all waiting for: the trade for Raiders star receiver Davante Adams.

Now, you're probably thinking: This is silly, Henry. Rodgers didn't get Saleh fired. Just listen to what Rodgers said about his former head coach.

"There's always going to be messaging and narratives out there, and you have two choices," Rodgers said on "The Pat McAfee Show." "You can ride the wave — really, a roller coaster — or you can say, "F--- it, I don't care.' And I'm the latter. I don't get into what the conversation is going on outside the building around myself.

"The relationships that I have — the most important ones — are looking a guy in the eye, in the locker room or in a meeting room, and knowing he's got your back, and you got his back."

But during his appearances on McAfee's show, Rodgers endlessly streams his truth — which is often factually inaccurate. So don't mind my suspicion about his support for Saleh — especially with the Jets firing him just a few weeks after Rodgers shoved the man on television in front of an audience of millions. 

It's hard to imagine Saleh thinking that Rodgers has "got his back." 

If Rodgers did, Saleh would still have a job.

Reaction to the Jets firing head coach Robert Saleh after 2-3 start

Now, it would have been too obvious of a coup d'état if the Jets had put Hackett into the chair as interim coach — because that would simply mean that Rodgers was the interim coach. So New York instead placed defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich into the gig.

Ulbrich is a Saleh guy — they came in together. And so Ulbrich will take full charge of the defense, which has been solid, though the Jets' opponents haven't been offensive powerhouses (Denver Broncos, New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans). It remains to be seen whether Ulbrich will have any influence over the offense, however.

Robert Saleh's attempted hug of Aaron Rodgers did not go as planned while celebrating a touchdown during a game against the Patriots on Sept. 19. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

So that begs the question: Was this the correct move and will anything change?

It certainly wasn't pretty at the end for Saleh. Players such as running back Breece Hall and rookie receiver Malachi Corley were speaking out about how things were trending on offense. (Downward.) The root of the issue all season has been the offense. They're not blocking well in the run game (with missed assignments in Week 5) and they're not coached well (with five false starts in Week 4). At least Saleh's defense had players who were performing among the best at their position, including CB D.J. Reed, who did an excellent job locking down Justin Jefferson on Sunday. I was impressed with the Jets' defensive game plan for the Vikings.

Saleh is the first head coach that Woody Johnson has fired in the middle of the season during his 25-year ownership tenure. If the Jets were going to fire Saleh, they should have done it during the offseason when they had the chance to bring in a new coaching staff. Now they're going to be in limbo, with Rodgers taking an even more substantial leadership role.

At 2-3 under Saleh, the Jets didn't look like they were going to win a Super Bowl. But without Saleh, I'm not sure they will even make the playoffs.

I suppose the only rationale for firing Saleh now was that they were clearly planning to do it at the end of the season. So why not get it done and see how many wins the Jets can eke out to convince Rodgers not to retire? There's no certainty that — after completing his coup d'état of the Jets — he'll remain a Jet. By fast-forwarding to the inevitable, the Jets might be able to finish the season with a better taste in their mouths. And maybe Rodgers won't retire.

For now, Johnson has selected three men to keep things stable: Rodgers, Hackett and Ulbrich.

What could go wrong — except for … everything?

Prior to joining FOX Sports as an NFL reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.

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Henry McKenna