Ex-NFL insider claims Jets could have fired Robert Saleh to 'shift blame' from Aaron Rodgers

The New York Jets firing Robert Saleh could person been to 'shift blame' from Aaron Rodgers amid his underwhelming commencement to the season.

That's the verdict of erstwhile NFL sideline newsman Michele Tafoya, who was near stunned by the quality of Saleh's departure connected Tuesday.

Jets proprietor Woody Johnson has sent shockwaves done the athletics by dropping the axe connected his caput manager conscionable 5 games into the season, with antiaircraft coordinator Jeff Ulbrich now placed successful interim charge for the remainder of the campaign.

While they did endure a 2nd consecutive decision against the Minnesota Vikings successful London connected Sunday, a nonaccomplishment which has near them with a losing 2-3 record, Saleh could inactive person topped the AFC East with a triumph implicit the Buffalo Bills connected Monday.

According to Tafoya, Rodgers - who threw 3 interceptions against the Vikings - is conscionable arsenic overmuch to blasted for the Jets' struggles this season.

'Wow, that makes you wonderment what kinds of conversations were going on, doesn’t it?' she said connected Outkick's Don't @ Me With Dan Dakich podcast aft being told Saleh had mislaid his job.

'Wow, I don’t cognize what to accidental astir that. Yeah, they are decidedly underperforming, but truthful is Aaron Rodgers.'

Rodgers has completed 61 percent of his passes and averaged 218.6 yards per crippled with 7 touchdown passes and 4 interceptions done 5 games this season.

Yet incredibly, the Jets discourtesy has scored arsenic galore points done 5 games with the four-time MVP arsenic they did past twelvemonth with Zach Wilson arsenic backmost (93).

And Tafoya, who spent implicit a decennary arsenic a sideline newsman for NBC, believes the determination to occurrence Saleh whitethorn good person been to support Rodgers. 

'See, it’s ever the manager that goes archetypal due to the fact that you can’t occurrence an full roster, truthful you spell aft the caput coach,' she continued. 'Maybe you spell aft a coordinator, but I americium amazed by this. That’s precise aboriginal successful the play to marque that decision.

'I cognize determination are a fig of quarterbacks who are precise influential successful what goes connected successful the beforehand office. I would accidental possibly Aaron mightiness beryllium 1 of those guys. 

'But I was nether the content that they got along, that Aaron is precise adjacent to the violative coordinator successful New York... this is simply a unusual 1 to me.

'But the Jets are looking to shingle things up. Obviously, this has been an incredibly disappointing commencement for the full team. A batch of radical privation to constituent the digit astatine Aaron, possibly this is simply a mode to displacement blame. I don’t know, this is fascinating to me.'

After confirming Saleh's exit, Johnson revealed that helium spoke with Rodgers the nighttime earlier helium made the determination - albeit without discussing the destiny of the caput coach.

Via Adam Schefter, the businessman maintained that the erstwhile Super Bowl victor had nary input successful Saleh's pending exit. He said that helium consulted with wide manager Joe Douglas but that yet it was his determination and his determination alone.

Woody explained that helium felt a coaching alteration was indispensable to champion reap the imaginable of his players and extremity the franchise's playoff drought.

The Jets person failed to marque it to the postseason since 2011, erstwhile they lost AFC Championship game, thing which Johnson had been hoping to rectify erstwhile helium appointed Saleh successful 2021. 

But the Lebanese-American, who became the NFL's archetypal ever Muslim caput manager erstwhile helium joined the Jets, departs with a dismal 20-36 grounds aft failing to marque the playoffs successful each of his 3 afloat seasons.

Saleh went done six antithetic starting quarterbacks successful his clip astatine MetLife; with Rodgers coming aft Zach Wilson, Mike White, Trevor Siemian, Tim Boyle and Joe Flacco.