Even earlier than New York Jets proprietor Woody Johnson fired head coach Robert Saleh final week, reporters and analysts linked the Jets with huge names reminiscent of former New England Patriots coach Invoice Belichick and former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel.
For a mailbag revealed on Thursday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports activities Illustrated shared why Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich “will get an sincere likelihood” from this Sunday’s recreation on the 4-2 Pittsburgh Steelers by means of the top of the continuing season to obtain the full-time job for at the least the 2025 marketing campaign.
“A deep playoff run would make it arduous to go in one other path, notably with lots of gamers on the older facet who won’t be very fascinated by beginning over,” Breer defined. “Ulbrich’s additionally well-liked within the locker room and the group as a complete.”
The purpose concerning the Jets’ older gamers not being “fascinated by beginning over” stands out contemplating quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who turns 41 years outdated this coming December, reportedly had nothing to do with Saleh’s dismissal and insisted last week that outsiders are mistaken concerning the quantity of “energy” he has inside the group. Earlier than Rodgers was hobbled by accidents to each of his knees and a low-ankle sprain this month, he said he needed to present the Jets “two nice years” coming off the torn Achilles he suffered in September 2023.
No matter Rodgers’ needs, The Athletic’s Mike Jones famous on Thursday that the 2024 Jets “largely regarded the identical” of their loss to the Buffalo Payments on “Monday Evening Soccer” as they did of their first 5 video games underneath Saleh. That defeat dropped them to 2-4. Ulbrich will most likely discover himself in search of work come January if acquiring vast receiver Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders would not repair a lot of what has ailed New York’s offense this fall.
Logic suggests Johnson might blow issues up and part ways with basic supervisor Joe Douglas ought to the Jets fail to make the playoffs for a 14th consecutive season. Reality be informed, ending the longest energetic postseason drought within the 4 main North American sports activities leagues might not be sufficient for Ulbrich to stick with the Jets except he provides a playoff win to his resume.