On Tuesday morning, the Jets abruptly fired head coach Robert Saleh. On Wednesday morning, Saleh issued his first comments on the development.
“To the Jets organization, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with so many incredible people,” Saleh said in a statement issued to PFT. “I will always be appreciative of the love and support from everyone at 1 Jets Drive.
“To all of the players, I truly love and appreciate every single one of you. The character of the men in the locker room made coaching you guys the ultimate privilege. Through all the ups and downs, each and every one of you showed up everyday and attacked every moment.
“To my fellow coaches and staff, it has been an honor to work with all of you. Every one of you were ‘all in’ and made sacrifices for one another that will never be forgotten. I wish you all the very best of luck for the remainder of the season.
“To the most passionate fan base in the NFL, thank you for embracing my family. It has been a pleasure calling New York our home and we will forever appreciate all of the memories that were created here.”
Saleh signs off with a message of “love and regard,” before adding: “All gas no brakes!!!”
Saleh’s contract runs through 2025. He reportedly doesn’t plan to join another team during the current season. Come next year, however, it will be interesting to see if he takes a job as a defensive coordinator with one of the various teams that inevitably will be looking.
It also will be interesting to see if that earns Saleh another shot as a head coach. Given the success of former Jets coach Todd Bowles in Tampa, maybe another owner will realize it was less about the coach and more about the organization.