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Best team suit for former Jets coach

Vaseline October 8, 2024

The New York Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh five weeks into the 2024 NFL season, reportedly leaving the fourth-year coach “blindsided.”

Saleh’s resignation followed the Jets lost to the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings in consecutive games. New York started the season with a 2-3 record despite Aaron Rodgers being healthy and available, so Jets owner Woody Johnson decided the team needed a change.

Saleh posted a 20-36 record during his three-plus seasons with the Jets and never made the postseason. That said, he turned the Jets’ defense into one of the best units in the NFL, and that should allow him to find his feet in another NFL role in short order.

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It doesn’t look like this will happen during the 2024 NFL season. Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that Saleh plans to spend some time with his family as he prepares for the NFL’s next recruiting cycle, which will take place in the 2025 offseason.

Saleh appears to be a sought-after candidate for defensive coordinator, but where could he end up? There are plenty of potential opportunities for the 45-year-old, even at this early stage of the 2024 NFL season.

Landing sites of Robert Saleh

Dallas Cowboys

Naturally, Saleh’s best potential landing spots will all be teams with coaches on the hot seat. Now that Saleh has been ousted, no one’s seat is hotter than Mike McCarthy’s. He is expected to lead the Cowboys on a deep playoff run, and anything less than that could prompt Jerry Jones to make a coaching change, especially with Bill Belichick looming as a potential coaching candidate.

The Cowboys thrived with Dan Quinn as their defensive coordinator before he took the head coaching job of the Washington Commanders. Dallas hasn’t found the same level of defensive success under Mike Zimmer. They only rank 23rd overall in FTN’s Defensive DVOA metric, but Saleh could help the Micah Parsons-led team find the offensive success it enjoyed under Quinn.

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New Orleans Saints

Saleh had a .357 winning percentage in his three-plus seasons as the Jets’ head coach, good for the second-worst mark among active NFL coaches. Only Dennis Allen’s .347 mark is worse, so the Saints’ third-year coach seems likely to face increased pressure as New Orleans runs into trouble after a fast start.

Allen has done a strong job with the Saints’ defense as a coordinator and head coach. His issues come on the offensive side of the ball, where the Saints have struggled to be anything more than mediocre under his watch. That could lead New Orleans to target an offensive-minded coaching candidate if they choose to replace Allen.

If that happens, Saleh would be an ideal coordinator candidate who could come in and continue Allen’s strong work on that side of the ball. Saleh would especially enjoy working with Marshon Lattimore and Alontae Taylor in the secondary and could turn New Orleans’ secondary into one of the most fearsome defensive units in the NFL.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Doug Pederson is another notable head coach. The Jaguars were the NFL’s last winless team before their Week 5 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Jacksonville’s defense ranks third in both points and yards allowed to opponents this season, so they could use a coordinator change even if Pederson manages to save his job.

Saleh has ties to the Jaguars, as he was the team’s linebackers coach from 2014 to 2016 under Gus Bradley and Doug Marrone. That familiarity could influence his decision if the Jaguars come into the market for a new defensive coordinator.

Cincinnati Bengals

Zac Taylor’s seat isn’t as hot as McCarthy’s, Allen’s or Pederson’s, but the Bengals’ 1-4 start should have owner Mike Brown thinking about making some key staff changes. Even if Taylor stays, Cincinnati could decide to shake up its defense as Lou Anarumo’s defense struggles.

Anarumo has done well for most of his six-year tenure with the Bengals, but Cincinnati is just 22nd in Defensive DVOA through five weeks this season and allows the second-most points per game (29), behind only the Carolina Panthers . That could lead to a change if these issues persist, and Saleh would be well suited to coach some of Cincinnati’s young defensive talents like Cam Taylor-Britt, Dax Hill and Myles Murphy.

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Indianapolis foals

Shane Steichen isn’t going anywhere considering the work he put in during his first season with the Colts, but Gus Bradley’s job may soon be on the line. He is in his third season with the Colts. In all three campaigns, Indianapolis’ scoring defense ranked in the bottom quartile of the league.

Indianapolis has allowed a career-high 419.2 yards per game during the 2024 season, 25.8 yards per game worse than the 31st-ranked Jaguars. Suffice it to say, this isn’t enough, and Saleh would have the potential to turn this defense around quickly thanks to talented athletes like Kwity Paye and Laiatu Latu on the defensive line.

San Francisco 49ers

Could Saleh return to the 49ers? It’s possible, but it’s probably the least likely of the options listed. Nick Sorensen is in his first season as the team’s defensive coordinator and the 49ers rank in the top-12 in both points allowed and yards per game through five weeks. That’s why San Francisco might want to let Sorensen prove himself instead of making a third straight coordinator change this offseason (even if it’s for a proven commodity like Saleh).

At the same time, Kyle Shanahan still wants to win his first Super Bowl, and he may be willing to go all out to do so. Could that mean Saleh is named assistant head coach to lead the defense alongside Sorensen? It should not be ruled out. Saleh also should not be hired to replace Sorensen if San Francisco’s defensive performance declines as the season progresses.

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Best team suit for former Jets coach