Robert Saleh Jets timeline: How Aaron Rodgers relationship, Nathaniel Hackett hire led to coach's firing

Robert Saleh was reportedly "blindsided" by his firing on Tuesday after less than four seasons as head coach of the Jets. The decision was a surprise, but Saleh doesn't have to look far to figure out why it was made.

A sub-.400 winning percentage is the most obvious reason — the NFL is a results business, and the results simply weren't there for Saleh. The Jets are no stranger to losing, but the 2024 season was supposed to be different.

The Jets' lack of success on the field under Saleh was the result of many factors. Some were out of his control, while others weren't. Owner Woody Johnson ultimately decided what Saleh could control wasn't good enough, and there are a few key decisions he could point to.

Here's a look at Saleh's timeline with the Jets and how decisions regarding Aaron Rodgers and Nathaniel Hackett expedited the end of his tenure.

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Robert Saleh Jets timeline

Saleh received a pass for going 4-13 in Zach Wilson's first season with the Jets, and a 7-10 season in 2022 was seen as progress even with Wilson proving he wasn't the solution at quarterback. Over the past two years, though, these factors put Saleh squarely on the hot seat.

Commitment to Zach Wilson

Saleh was put in a tough spot in 2023 with Wilson being the top remaining option on the quarterback depth chart when Rodgers went down, but his consistent defense of Wilson after costly performances was seen as dishonest. Saleh often went out of his way to deflect blame from Wilson despite the young quarterback struggling in just about every aspect of his job.

"He's doing the best he can," Saleh told reporters after the Jets scored six points in a prime-time loss to the Chargers in November, even going so far as to call it "lazy" to blame Wilson.

A week later, when Wilson failed to throw a touchdown pass for the fourth time in five starts, Saleh said, "It’s not as simple as 'right there, that guy right there is screwing up everything.'"

The decision not to add a veteran quarterback after Rodgers' injury seemed like a misstep by the Jets, and that likely falls on GM Joe Douglas rather than Saleh. Still, a lack of accountability was a major concern coming out of 2023.

Nathaniel Hackett hire

The Jets' decision to hire Hackett as their offensive coordinator after his ugly season as the Broncos' head coach was a curious one, but it made much more sense once Rodgers was brought over from Green Bay. It ultimately was a decision that set the Jets back.

Would Rodgers have wanted to play for the Jets if Hackett wasn't on the staff? Hackett's value was low enough after 2022 that New York might have gotten away with giving him a lower-level role, such as quarterbacks coach rather than handing him the keys to the offense.

Once Hackett was in the building, there was no getting him out. The embattled play-caller still hasn't been fired, likely due to Rodgers' allegiance to him. Saleh's refusal to say "enough is enough" and make the switch cost the head coach in the end.

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Relationship with Aaron Rodgers

Saleh's relationship with Rodgers has been at the center of speculation throughout this season. While much of that smoke comes from speculation rather than concrete reporting, there were signs that not everything was right between the two.

Rodgers and Saleh had an awkward sideline interaction in Week 3, with Rodgers appearing to shove his coach after a touchdown. The pair explained it away as just an awkward celebration because Rodgers isn't a "hugger," but their relationship came into question 10 days later when the veteran QB seemed to publicly disagree with Saleh about how to reduce offensive penalties.

When asked about Saleh's suggestion that Rodgers should simplify his cadence before the snap, Rodgers told reporters, "That's one way to do it. The other way is to hold [players] accountable."

Saleh and Rodgers both denied any issues in the days that followed, with Saleh telling reporters he and his quarterback were "fantastic," but Tuesday's decision raised more questions about what was actually happening behind the scenes.

Self-inflicted mistakes

The penalties that created a bit of a public disagreement between Saleh and Rodgers weren't just a fluke. Excessive penalties and undisciplined play became a pattern for the Jets under Saleh, and those problems aren't expected to worsen in a coach's fourth season.

The Jets out-penalized their opponent in each season under Saleh: by 19 in 2021, one in 2022, 29 in 2023, and already nine in 2024. New York was called for more penalties than the Titans and Patriots in wins, and a 13-penalty affair against the Broncos prompted the suggestion about Rodgers changing his cadence.

For a coach in his fourth season, Saleh oversaw a level of sloppiness that was highly unusual and seemed to be costing the Jets games. Self-inflicted mistakes were clearly a source of frustration for Rodgers, and based on Tuesday's move, they likely bothered ownership, as well.

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Robert Saleh coaching record

Saleh went 20-36 as the Jets' head coach, failing to register a winning season.

The Jets showed real improvement from 2021 to 2022 despite Wilson's lack of progress, moving from 4-13 to 7-10, but the team couldn't get going after Rodgers' season-ending injury in 2023. New York ultimately finished with the same 7-10 record as the previous season despite a vaunted defense, falling out of playoff contention even earlier than in 2022.

Ownership decided to keep the team's braintrust intact with Rodgers returning, publicly backing both Saleh and GM Joe Douglas before the 2023 season even ended, but a 2-3 start to this season brought Saleh's tenure to an abrupt end on Tuesday.

Teams that make midseason coaching changes are often out of contention, but the Jets are in a unique situation. A win in Week 6 would push them into first place in the AFC East, and ownership has made it clear winning is still the expectation in 2024. That puts serious pressure on defensive coordinator-turned-interim coach Jeff Ulbrich, who has never been a head coach before.