Robert Saleh was fired on Tuesday, however the Jets’ head-coaching change was not the one main shake-up that was mentioned. The standing of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett was set to vary not lengthy earlier than Saleh’s dismissal.
The fourth-year head coach was “severely considering” the concept of firing Hackett, per a report from CBS Sports activities’ Jonathan Jones. That call might have come as early as Tuesday, however given the occasions which have since taken place, that’s in fact now not attainable. Hackett’s job is secure, however his position might nonetheless be altered quickly.
Refuting Jones’ report, SNY’s Connor Hughes states firing Hackett was by no means really on the desk. He and Mike Florio of Professional Soccer Speak add that Saleh was, nevertheless, stripping the much-maligned OC of his play-calling duties forward of Week 6. Had Saleh adopted via with that plan, passing recreation coordinator Todd Downing would have referred to as performs with Hackett remaining on New York’s workers. The latter has confronted questions all through his New York tenure, with the group having sought out an offensive staffer to supervise him this offseason.
It was later discovered former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith was one of many coaches who was contacted by the Jets about such a job. He declined the group’s curiosity earlier than in the end taking the Steelers’ OC gig. That left Hackett — an in depth pal of quarterback Aaron Rodgers who loved a profitable run with him in Inexperienced Bay — in control of an offense that struggled mightily in 2023. Rodgers’ Week 1 Achilles tear gave the teaching workers (together with normal supervisor Joe Douglas) a mulligan for the present season, however issues haven’t gone in line with plan to date on offense.
A wholesome Rodgers (at the least, apart from the low-ankle sprain he suffered on Sunday and the knee harm he handled from the week prior) led to renewed expectations for Hackett’s unit. The Jets rank twenty third in offensive DVOA to date, although, in comparison with a Twelfth-place rating on protection by the identical metric. Optimism for enchancment didn’t exist amongst gamers or coaches if Hackett remained in control of the offense, and proprietor Woody Johnson has been crucial of the ex-Broncos head coach’s latest performances. Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich didn’t instantly say who will deal with play-calling duties as he takes over the 2-3 group.
If Downing had been to be tapped for that position, he can be in place to steer an offense for the primary time since his Titans tenure resulted in 2022. The 44-year-old was retained by the group following a November DUI arrest in that 12 months, however he was fired on the finish of the marketing campaign. Tennessee ranked mid-pack in scoring and complete offense in 2021, however the next 12 months the group dropped to thirtieth and twenty eighth, respectively, in these departments. Downing was however in a position to rapidly land his present gig with the Jets, and he may very well be in line for added obligations.
With Saleh being fired “5 minutes” after his play-calling plan had been made recognized, per Hughes’ report, it is going to actually be attention-grabbing to see if Ulbrich carries it out. If Hackett does retain management of the offense, although, he’ll little doubt face elevated scrutiny because the Jets try and pivot from the Saleh period to the playoffs.
