Robert Saleh wearing Lebanese flag on sweatshirt in London game played factor in Jets firing, radio host says

The New York Jets shocked galore with the firing of Robert Saleh arsenic caput manager pursuing back-to-back losses to determination them to 2-3 connected the year.

While proprietor Woody Johnson said that helium consulted wide manager Joe Douglas, helium yet said helium made the determination connected his own. 

What factored into the determination for Johnson to relieve Saleh of his duties was not divulged different than him saying helium felt it was the close clip to bash so. However, 1 long-time vigor big pointed to Saleh’s wardrobe prime during the team’s London crippled against the Minnesota Vikings arsenic a factor. 

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New York Jets manager Robert Saleh reacts against the Minnesota Vikings successful the archetypal fractional astatine Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

Joe Benigno, who is simply a die-hard Jets instrumentality and erstwhile vigor big astatine WFAN, said helium believed that Saleh wearing a achromatic Jets sweatshirt with the Lebanese emblem connected his sleeve had thing to bash with his firing. 

"I gotta accidental thing else, and I hatred to get political, but I person to successful this case," Benigno said portion connected "The Jake Asman Show" connected Tuesday. 

ISLAMIC GROUP CALLS OUT JETS FOR FIRING ROBERT SALEH AFTER WEARING LEBANON PIN AMID ISRAEL WAR

"Saleh had the emblem of Lebanon connected his garment the different time successful London. Now, we each cognize what’s going connected successful the Middle East. There is nary sugarcoating of what’s going connected successful the Middle East. We each cognize astir Hezbollah firing each these rockets retired of Lebanon, and each what’s going connected there, into Israel.

"We cognize helium is Muslim. I deliberation helium is representing the radical of Lebanon, due to the fact that I don’t judge the radical of Lebanon truly are blessed with Hezbollah. I don’t deliberation that’s the lawsuit astatine all. And I wonderment if that has played into this successful a mode arsenic well, due to the fact that I did spot this connected the regular quality that this was really brought up."  

New York Jets caput manager Robert Saleh looks connected from the sideline against the New York Giants during the archetypal fractional astatine MetLife Stadium. (Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports)

There were immoderate connected societal media who voiced displeasure with Saleh, who is of Lebanese descent, wearing the emblem connected his sleeve owed to the existent concern successful the country. 

Hezbollah, the Iran-backed subject radical successful Lebanon, has a convulsive past with Israel, and it lone escalated amid the Israel-Hamas war. The emblem was seen connected the time Israel bombed Beirut, the superior of Lebanon, 1 time earlier the one-year day of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks connected Israel.

However, Saleh has worn the Lebanese emblem spot past twelvemonth arsenic portion of the NFL Heritage Program, which encourages players and coaches to grant their taste backgrounds with patches and helmet decals connected gameday. Saleh besides wore the spot earlier this season. 

Saleh, who became the archetypal Muslim caput manager successful the NFL erstwhile the Jets hired him successful January 2021, is the lad of Lebanese parents, who immigrated to the United States anterior to him being born. 

New York Jets caput manager Robert Saleh talks to reporters aft an NFL shot crippled against the Minnesota Vikings connected Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, astatine the Tottenham Hotspur stadium successful London. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

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In his three-and-a-half seasons starring the Jets, Saleh owned a 20-36 record. He ne'er had a play supra .500 aft going 4-13 successful twelvemonth one, followed by back-to-back seasons astatine 7-10. 

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