Robert Saleh And Joe Douglas Being Back In 2024 Proves Aaron Rodgers Runs The Jets

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SOURCE - Owner Woody Johnson told The Post on Sunday that general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh will return for the 2024 season. 

“My decision is to keep them,” Johnson said in an exclusive interview before Sunday’s 30-28 Jets win over the Commanders. “I think we’ve had some very positive moves. The culture of the team is a lot better. The defense is better. The offense needs a few pieces.” 

“Just to keep the continuity going with Aaron and the team we’ve got,” Johnson said as a reason why he wants Douglas and Saleh back. “Like I said a year ago, we need a quarterback. We had a quarterback for four plays. Since then we haven’t been able to replace him. If we have a good quarterback, it makes everybody’s job easier. It makes the line better, the receivers better.” 

In other words, Aaron Rodgers likes Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas and wants them around. There's little reason why anyone would keep a head coach who has gone 17-32 (.347) in three seasons. I know it's easy to say it's not Saleh's fault this season went off the rails and there is some truth in that. Rodgers got hurt and everything went to shit. It's an easy scapegoat but I think it's more complicated than that.

What left me frustrated as a Jets fan was that the leadership of the team could never adjust afterwards. The only quarterback move they made was signing Trevor Siemian. The whole organization sat on their hands and hoped Zach Wilson would work out even though he had proven he hadn't. Great organizations can adjust when things go wrong. The Jets had the sports equivalent of a car accident happen and months later they are still sitting in their cars wondering what happened.

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There were many options they could have went with. The Josh Dobbs Experience has crashed back to Earth but that wouldn't have been an overall improvement to Zach Wilson? Remember, this was a team that started Tim Boyle. TWICE. There were a few options out there but the most telling one was Joe Flacco.

Flacco has obviously gone on to lead the Browns to a 3-1 record since they made him a starter but he also spent the previous three seasons with the Jets and honestly looked really washed up especially last year. That he looks so much better this season makes me think this lousy quarterback play is an organizational thing. Something is broken that allows this team to scout and work with quarterbacks. It probably doesn't help they keep hiring defensive minded coaches like Saleh, Todd Bowles and Rex Ryan. That's on Woody Johnson.

At the end of the day, I do understand the rationale of keeping Saleh and Douglas so you don't make Rodgers mad. He's literally the only option. We saw what the alternatives were this season. It's uglier than Cousin Eddy's shitter. So Saleh and Douglas get another season but Woody needs to really look at how he runs this entire team. When Rodgers does retire or leave, what's the plan? He's going to be left with a head coach and GM that can't develop an offense and are helpless if anything goes wrong.

Oh…if you don't believe me that Aaron Rodgers is the real King of the Jets, let's see if his buddy and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett is back in 2024. I'm guessing he will be. The Jets are dead last in the NFL in total yards, passing TD and rushing TD. Imagine rooting for a team bringing that guy back?