Former NFL player Solomon Wilcots calls out Jets owner Woody Johnson for scapegoating head coach Robert Saleh, highlighting the team's offensive woes as the real issue.
The New York Jets' decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh after just five games has drawn criticism from former NFL player Solomon Wilcots, who believes the move was more about appearances than football reasons.
Wilcots, a six-year NFL veteran, appeared on OutKick's "The Ricky Cobb Show" and lambasted the Jets for making Saleh the scapegoat for the team's struggles.
Jets' Firing of Robert Saleh Slammed as Arbitrary and Appearance-Driven
"Look, I know there is going to be a great temptation for people to lay this at the feet of Aaron Rodgers," Wilcots said. "I’m not absolving Aaron from where this thing is, because his fingerprints are in it. He’s not the one who decided to fire Robert Saleh, neither is Joe Douglas by all reports. This is all on the owner, Woody Johnson."
Wilcots pointed to Johnson's absence during Saleh's hiring as a sign that the owner was not fully invested in the team's long-term success.
Jets' Firing of Robert Saleh Slammed as Arbitrary and Appearance-Driven
"He was over in London, right, you know, having a good time over there with his good friends and now when his team goes back over to London, and they lose to the Minnesota Vikings, ‘Oh I got to do something about this, I’m the guy who can fix it’ by all accounts its arbitrary that he decided to make this move because ‘I gotta fix it, I don’t want to waste the years of Aaron Rodgers’," Wilcots said.
Wilcots' comments highlight the disconnect between the Jets' ownership and the team's on-field performance. Despite boasting an elite defense, the Jets have struggled to score points, a problem that was evident even before Saleh's firing.
Jets' Firing of Robert Saleh Slammed as Arbitrary and Appearance-Driven
"Over the last three years, they ranked sixth overall in points allowed per game, so when that game ended over in London, we were all concerned about what we were going to do to fix this offense, and even as we sit here today after the firing of Robert Saleh, that problem still exists," Wilcots said.
The Jets' offensive struggles are a major concern, but the team's defense has been a bright spot. Saleh's defense has been ranked among the top in the league in terms of pass rush, pressure, and coverage.
"Robert Saleh’s defense is playing at a top level, one of the top-rated defenses in the National Football League across all the metrics," Wilcots said.
With Saleh's firing, the Jets have handed the reins to interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich, who will be tasked with turning around the team's fortunes. The Jets' next game is a critical matchup against the Buffalo Bills on "Monday Night Football," and a win could thrust them into contention for the AFC East title.
However, the Jets' offensive struggles remain a major concern, and it remains to be seen if Ulbrich can find a solution. Wilcots' comments suggest that the Jets' problems run deeper than just the head coach, and that the team's ownership needs to take a hard look at the organization's overall direction.
