Robert Saleh Reportedly Considered This Huge Move Before Firing

One way or another, the Jets were bound for a major change this week.

The shift came in the form of firing Robert Saleh, who became the first head coach to part ways with New York in-season since 1976. But if Saleh managed to keep his job after the Jets fell to 2-3, another marquee coach in the Meadowlands might have lost his.

According to SNY’s Connor Hughes, Saleh planned to strip offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett of playcalling duties and hand over the responsibility to quarterbacks coach Todd Downing. It would have been a worthwhile experiment, as New York entered Week 6 ranked in the bottom eight in the NFL in both points per game and total yards per game.

Changing play-callers in-season isn’t unprecedented in the league, but it would have been particularly fascinating in East Rutherford given the parties involved. Aaron Rodgers has a close connection and long history with Hackett, who was the Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator for the quarterback’s last two MVP seasons. Demoting Hackett could have created even more tension for a Jets team that’s been largely out of sync all season.

New York now will hope interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich can inspire a turnaround. But there still should be a good deal of pressure on Hackett, who’s been ineffective despite a wealth of weapons at his disposal.