Saleh: Could’ve done better after losing Rodgers

Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff WriterDec 25, 2023, 01:19 PM ET
Close

From the hiring of a new offensive coordinator to the signing of free agents, the New York Jets tailored their 2023 blueprint around one player: quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

While coach Robert Saleh said he had no regrets even though he lost Rodgers to an Achilles injury on the fourth play of the season, he conceded Monday the team could’ve done a better job of adjusting without Rodgers.

“When you have a Hall of Fame quarterback, you’re going to build it around his strengths, period,” Saleh said. “That’s a very common thing throughout the league. It’s not just a Jets thing. That’s leaguewide.

“Could we have done things better? I’m talking about myself and the coaching staff, with regards to, ‘All right, this is our worst-case scenario, now what?’ Absolutely, and it’s something that we will make sure that we do a heck of a lot better with in 2024.”

At the start of the season, Saleh said the Jets were one of six to eight teams with a legitimate shot at the Super Bowl, but it unraveled quickly due to quarterback instability, injuries on the offensive line and a historically poor offense. The Jets improved to 6-9 on Sunday with a last-second 30-28 win over the Washington Commanders, but that doesn’t erase two hard facts: This is their eighth straight losing season and their 13th consecutive season out of the playoffs — both the longest active droughts in the NFL.

Reflecting on the struggles, coaches and players have acknowledged that the offensive system was constructed specifically for Rodgers, who helped with the installation in the spring. When he went down, the operation went haywire and the team was slow to adjust. It went through an 11-game stretch when it scored more than 20 points only once.

The other lingering question is whether the Jets erred in entrusting Zach Wilson, their former starter, with the backup position. The No. 2 overall pick in 2021 continued his struggles and eventually was benched in Week 12 in favor of career journeyman Tim Boyle, who was released after two poor starts.

When asked if he learned any lessons from relying too much on Rodgers, Saleh — unsolicited — mentioned Wilson.

“I still think when you look at the process that we went through in that regard, I still feel like it was sound,” he said. “I don’t think anyone anticipated (the injury) four plays in, but Zach is going to be a good football player for a long time in this league. I believe that.”

It might not be with the Jets, though. Wilson was returned to the starting lineup, but his status for next season is up in the air even though he’s under contract. Chances are, another quarterback will be backing up Rodgers, 40, who said he wants to play at least two more seasons.

One certainty is the return of Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas, both of whom received a public vote of confidence Sunday from owner Woody Johnson. Also expected to return is embattled offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, a Rodgers confidant who received a glowing endorsement from the quarterback. Saleh said Johnson “has never wavered on his support for us and the things we’re trying to get done.”

Three years ago, in his introductory news conference, Saleh predicted multiple Super Bowls for the Jets. Since then, they’re 17-32.

“It’s been a grind,” he said. “Everybody closes their eyes and imagines success right away, but we knew there was going to be a process. Obviously, we all felt great coming in this year with all the expectations and hype that’s around the football team — and that was awesome.

“It hasn’t gone the way we obviously wanted, but it doesn’t mean that the goal of winning championships is over. I still think we’ve got a really good football team. I’ve said it before: I think we’ve built a championship roster. There’s a lot of things that we’ve learned through adversity over the last three months since Aaron’s injury that will help us.”

The Jets play Thursday night at the Cleveland Browns, still waiting for Wilson to clear the concussion protocol. If he doesn’t, they will start Trevor Siemian for the second straight week.