Reportedly, Overseeing crime The Jets appear to have realized there is someone lurking just around the corner who, in theory, already has that job in mind for the position above coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
Head coach.
There's been a ton of interesting quotes from quarterback Aaron Rodgers this week, and many of the soundbites created include explanations for Robert Saleh being even more involved in the Jets' offense.
“As a defensive coach, he’s in that room a lot. He was sitting to my left “Coach has been there for us a good chunk of the offseason so far,” Rodgers said, via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, “so we appreciate his influence. He's brought some really good ideas to the table.”
The principal isn't just sitting at the back of the classroom: Saleh is clearly complicit in criminal activity.
“He's added a lot of interesting pieces through OTAs and training camp, which I think is pretty great for us,” Rodgers said.
It's easy to make the excuse that “there's nothing to see” or to downplay the situation, but this represents a departure from the traditional way of running a team: the head coach focuses on the side of the ball that got him there and leaves the other aspects to the coordinators.
Saleh is one of many employees who will be gone from the Jets after 2024 if they don't end their streak of no playoff appearances since 2010, but he's doing what's necessary to strengthen the team. The main reason Rodgers' hand-picked coordinator didn't pan out is because Hackett didn't change the offensive line enough to suit Zach Wilson after Rodgers ruptured his Achilles on drive one in Week 1.
It's easy to blame Hackett for not doing what a good coach should do — tailoring the playbook to the skills and abilities of his players — but the fact that he continued to control the team with the vague idea that Rodgers would return may have encouraged the Jets to continue with the Rodgers offense so that 10 other players would be well-equipped to master it if Rodgers were to emerge riding a white horse at the crack of dawn for Game 15.
Whether that's described as desperation or necessity, it's a reality for the Jets. They need to bolster their offense, and they also need to be ready to replace Rodgers with Tyrod Taylor or Jordan Travis if he gets injured again. Given his age and recent history, it would be foolish to assume he'll play all 17 regular-season games than it is to prepare for another premature end to his 20th NFL season.
