Robert Saleh was fired on Tuesday, but the Jets’ head coaching change wasn’t the only major shakeup discussed. Offensive coordinator status Nathaniel Hackett would change not long before Saleh’s resignation.

The fourth-year head coach was “seriously considering” the idea of ​​firing Hackett, according to a report from Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. That decision may already be made on Tuesday, but given the events that have taken place since then, that is obviously no longer possible. Hackett’s job is safe, although his role could change soon.

(RELATED: Woody Johnson Denies Rodgers Played a Role in Saleh’s Firing)

SNY’s Connor Hughes refutes Jones’ report, saying firing Hackett was never actually on the table. He and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio add that Saleh, however, planned to strip the much-maligned OC of his play-calling duties before Week 6. If Saleh had executed that plan and bypassed the game coordinator Todd Downing would have called plays while Hackett remained on New York’s staff. The latter has faced questions during his tenure in New York, with the team seeking an offensive staffer to oversee him this offseason.

It was later revealed that the former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith was one of the coaches approached by the Jets about such a role. He declined the team’s interest before ultimately taking the Steelers OC gig. That left Hackett – a good friend of the quarterback Aaron Rodgers who enjoyed a successful run with him in Green Bay – responsible for an offense that struggled mightily in 2023. Rodgers’ Achilles tear in Week 1 left the coaching staff (along with general manager Joe Douglas) a Mulligan for the current season, but things haven’t gone according to plan on offense so far.

A healthy Rodgers (at least aside from the low ankle sprain he suffered on Sunday and the knee injury he suffered the week before) led to renewed expectations for Hackett’s unit. However, the Jets rank 23rd in offensive DVOA thus far, compared to 12th on defense by the same metric. Optimism for improvement did not exist among players or coaches as Hackett remained in charge of the offense and owner Woody Johnson was critical of the ex-Broncos head coach’s recent performance. Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich did not immediately say who will handle play-calling duties if he takes over the 2-3 team.

If Downing were tapped for that role, he would be in a position to lead an offense for the first time since his Titans tenure ended in 2022. The 44-year-old was detained by the organization after a drink-driving arrest that year. , but he was fired at the end of the campaign. Tennessee was in the middle of the pack in scoring and total offense in 2021, but the following year the team fell to 30th and 28th in those departments, respectively. Downing could nevertheless quickly land his current job with the Jets, and he could be in line for additional responsibilities.

With Saleh being fired just minutes after his play-calling plan was announced, it will certainly be interesting to see if Ulbrich executes it, according to Hughes’ report. However, if Hackett retains control of the offense, he will undoubtedly face increased scrutiny as the Jets attempt to move from the Saleh era to the playoffs.