REPORT: Robert Saleh Emerges As Front-Runner To Become New Head Coach Of Surprise NFL Team

Robert Saleh of New York Jets looking on.

Robert Saleh (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh is reportedly a front-runner to secure the HC opening of another AFC team.

In a move that surprised many, the Jets fired Robert Saleh following a Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London, England, that dropped them to 2-3 on the season. The team fared even worse under interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich, going 3-9 under his watch.

According to a report from Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic, “there’s some real buzz about” Saleh becoming the next head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team fired Doug Pederson last week and will be on their fifth HC this decade:

“This one might feel like it’s out of left field, but there’s some real buzz about Saleh’s chances of securing this job. Saleh might have been helped by Jets owner Woody Johnson’s decision to fire him in Week 5, especially because of what happened afterward.

The Jets were significantly worse after interim coach Jeff Ulbrich took over, particularly on defense, where Saleh had built the Jets into one of the league’s Top-5 defenses in both 2022 and ’23.”

Robert Saleh completed his interview with the Jaguars and has another one lined up with the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday. The Jets, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints also have head coaching vacancies.

The 45-year-old Saleh was the Jaguars’ linebackers coach from 2014 to 2016 under Gus Bradley, who became the HC there in 2013 after serving as the Seattle Seahawks’ defensive coordinator.

Robert Saleh Will Get Another Major Gig Very Soon

The Jets’ unraveling over their final 12 games was a strong reminder that Saleh wasn’t the problem in New York. It’s not his fault that Woody Johnson has mismanaged the Jets for years, or that a 40-year-old Aaron Rodgers was the best QB Saleh got to work with.

Saleh also interviewed with his old team, the San Francisco 49ers, for their defensive coordinator position. Clearly, he won’t be out of work for long.