The New York Jets have shockingly and unceremoniously fired head coach Robert Saleh after their Week 5 loss across the pond in London to the Minnesota Vikings. With the Jets coming back to the USA at 2-3, there's no doubt that Saleh was going to be on the hot seat going forward but nobody expected Woody Johnson to do this. This move has shaken up the NFL a little bit.
Johnson has never fired a coach in-season over the last 25 years, and Saleh became his unfortunate first in that category. The Jets are moving to defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich as their interim head coach for the remainder of this season, but where is Saleh going to land?
There is little doubt that Saleh will be one of the most highly coveted defensive coordinators on the market going forward and you can't help but wonder if we'll see him working elsewhere this season as a consultant of sorts. He's an extremely valuable defensive mind.
Robert Saleh should have many options after being fired by Jets
Since the 2021 season, Robert Saleh's first in New York, the Jets defense is
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) October 8, 2024
1st in points per drive
1st in EPA per play
3rd in success rate
...despite playing the fourth-most snaps over that stretch.
Saleh never solved the QB problem, but man. He delivered on defense.
So which teams will be after Saleh now that he's been let go by the Jets?
1. San Francisco 49ers
A reunion with the San Francisco 49ers feels all but a certainty to me at this point. It was his outstanding work with the San Francisco 49ers that got Saleh the job with the New York Jets in the first place, and it wouldn't be surprising at all to see him return there to work for Kyle Shanahan in 2025, maybe even as a consultant for the remainder of 2024.
The 49ers' current defensive coordinator is Nick Sorensen, who has come under some fire recently by Nick Bosa and might be in line to be replaced at the end of the season.
There's no doubt that Saleh would be received back in San Francisco with open arms and could get that defense back to playing dominant footbal week in and week out.
2. Miami Dolphins
When Vic Fangio's dream job -- defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles -- opened up, he bolted Miami and was gone quicker than he arrived. The Dolphins were forced to replace Fangio after just one year on the job and although Anthony Weaver has plenty of time to make his case to keep the job, the Dolphins would be a desirable destination for a coach like Saleh.
Saleh also has familiarity with Mike McDaniel from their time together with the San Francisco 49ers, and that familiarity could lead to the ideal working relationship with Saleh serving as the "head coach" of the defense in South Beach.
The Dolphins would also give Saleh the chance to go up against the Jets twice a season, and he could get a little bit of revenge.
3. Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a team that will be interesting to monitor in the 2025 offseason. I think they have the right head coach with Shane Steichen calling the shots, but there are Colts fans crying out for Gus Bradley to be fired at this point.
The two best things you can have for a young quarterback are a running game and a strong defense, and adding Robert Saleh as defensive coordinator could elevate that Colts defense to an absolutely elite level in short order.
We'll see if the Colts actually move on from Gus Bradley after this season, but there is some interesting personnel on that roster and the Colts could be a fun landing spot for Saleh. Colts fans would certainly love to see it.