As Rich Cimini of ESPN pointed out, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers raised eyebrows when he recently mentioned that head coach Robert Saleh, a longtime defensive coach, was “taking a deeper role in the offense” this spring.
Saleh spoke with reporters on Wednesday about being in his second offseason working alongside Rodgers and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
“For me, last year was year one,” Saleh explained, according to Randy Lange of the Jets’ website. “There was a lot of learning, even for me. It was the first time I’ve been involved with an offense, with a quarterback that had such a voice. So a lot of it was me absorbing, along with everybody else, this new system. It’s year two, so just a natural evolution of I’ve got a good grasp of the offense and I’m just trying to provide some insight.”
The Jets hired Hackett in January 2023 months before they acquired Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers, but that partnership wasn’t able to accomplish anything after Rodgers suffered a season-ending torn Achilles in Week 1. New York’s offense routinely struggled to produce points without the future Hall of Famer in the lineup, and it was reported earlier in May that the Jets “made legitimate attempts this offseason to hire someone who would, essentially, replace Hackett” as the man running the offense during games.
Cimini wrote that Rodgers’ comment caused some to believe Saleh “has lost faith in” Hackett. Saleh later poured cold water over such takes, and he suggested on Wednesday he won’t be instructing Hackett on what to do and not do during regular-season contests.
“As far as a specific play, I don’t envision ever being somebody who’s going to mandate a specific thing,” Saleh said. “They’ve got a vision of what they’re trying to accomplish on that side of the ball, we have a style that we’re trying to accomplish as a team. That part, I’ll always be vocal on. But at the same time, I’ll have suggestions just like any other head coach. If I feel convicted, obviously…but I don’t envision any of that happening in the near future.”
