Op Ed: What Truly Led to Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh’s Firing?

by Zain Ahmed

Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh was allegedly fired for wearing a patch in support of Lebanon.

While the historic Muslim coach has not made an official statement regarding his termination, advocates believe his appearance at his last game indicates his reason for firing.

“Living the dream, brother,” Saleh told reporters, according to TMZ in his only comment post termination. His comment came nine days later.

Saleh was fired days after the New York Jets faced off against the Minnesota Vikings, who were looking like real contenders so far this season, on Sunday Oct. 6.

As many expected, the Vikings took the win 23-17 against the Jets, after an offensive collapse with Quarterback Aaron Rodgers throwing three crucial interceptions, ESPN reported.

During the game, Jets Head Coach Saleh was seen wearing a patch with Lebanon’s flag on his shirt. It was the last game he reportedly coached.

Saleh–whose parents emigrated from Lebanon–was born and raised in Dearborn, Michigan.

According to Sporting News, he made history as the first Muslim and fourth Arab-American in NFL history to become Head Coach when he was acquired by the Jets in 2021.

While many argue his depiction of the pin had him fired, some argue his performance record is to blame. According to ESPN, the Jets saw a 20-36 record during his time as head coach, the worst winning percentage by a coach in Jets history.

While he did help the squad improve under his leadership, when compared to the previous game time they had, many people his record of losses and not ancestral pin were the cause of his termination.

“I think one of the reasons that I decided to make a coaching change at the highest level is exactly that. We need to find ways to win, and so we’re not going to find those ways by doing the same thing over and over,” Jets Front Office Chairman Robert Johnson told ESPN.

Critics also argue that Saleh was unfairly fired because he had to start six different quarterbacks during his short time on the Jets, with Zach Wilson being the only one to have started more than eight games for him. Other arguments in his favor point to the improvement of the team’s defense.

The Jets hired Saleh after a successful time on the San Francisco 49ers as a defensive coordinator. According to the Bleacher Report, the Jets were ranked last in the NFL in both total defense and scoring defense, but improved to fourth in the league in both those categories during Saleh’s first season as coach. This success continued throughout his career with them.

At this time the incident is being investigated by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR.

The organization has pointed to comments by team owner Woody Johnson as possible indications of race involvement as he has “been accused of making racially charged marks” in the past. The way Saleh was escorated out of the facility was also noted as unusually hostile.

As the Jets navigate the fallout from Saleh’s firing, questions about inclusivity within the Jets and the NFL have arisen. Many speculate that his display of the Lebanese flag played a role in the decision, while others attribute it to his on-field struggles and relationships with his team.