Jets' latest firing proves they're still dysfunctional, not real contender

The New York Jets (2-3) suffered their second straight loss and third of the season in Week 5, but instead of going back to the drawing board, they panicked.

On Tuesday, the Jets decided to fire head coach Robert Saleh in the most surprising move of the season thus far. The team then named defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich its interim head coach .

Saleh did not have the tenure he likely imagined in New York with a record of 20-36, but he did his best with six different quarterbacks while building one of the best defenses in the league.

The latest, of course, is Aaron Rodgers, who may have had a say in Saleh's firing since the two didn't seem to connect.

Rodgers has had a say in some of the Jets' past moves, such as reuniting him with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and wide receivers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb. They may not be the only wide receivers to reunite with Rodgers, either.

According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Saleh's firing does not affect New York's interest in trading for Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams, but that's a conversation for another time.

Owner Woody Johnson needed somebody to blame for the team's disappointing start to the season and decided that person wasn't going to be the 40-year-old quarterback who was supposed to save the franchise.

Through five games, Rodgers has thrown for 1,093 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions.

Saleh becomes the first head coach to be fired five games into a regular season since the Carolina Panthers, another dysfunctional organization, fired Matt Rhule after a 1-4 start in 2022.

As for Rodgers, he will now have nobody else to blame but himself if the Jets offense, which is averaging the sixth-fewest total yards per game (286.6) and eighth-fewest points per game (18.6), continues to struggle.

The Jets went all in on Rodgers in the spring of 2023 in a somewhat desperate move. However, their decision on Tuesday may have been even more desperate as Rodgers seems to have even more power within the organization.

New York hosts the Buffalo Bills (3-2) in Week 6 on "Monday Night Football" for a piece of first place in the AFC East.