Aaron Rodgers: Robert Saleh Bringing ‘Really Good Ideas’ to Jets Offense in New Role

Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVMay 26, 2024

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh may have a defensive background, but Aaron Rodgers appreciates what he has offered the offense this offseason.

“As a defensive coach, he’s been in that room a lot, but he’s been kind of sitting over to the left of me a good amount of the offseason so far,” the quarterback said, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “So we appreciate his influence. He’s brought some really good ideas to the table.”

Cimini pushed back at the “outside narrative” that the head coach has become more involved because he “lost faith” in offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.

Instead, he noted Saleh is more familiar with the offense and quarterback this year than he was last year when they were installing the new offense with new faces. With that increased familiarity comes more willingness to offer opinions, especially from a defensive perspective.

Saleh is also providing a voice ahead of what figures to be a critical season for him.

This is his fourth year as the head coach of the Jets, and they have never finished with a record better than 7-10. While last season can be somewhat excused by the Achilles injury Rodgers suffered in the first game, there is plenty of pressure on the coach to finally perform in 2024.

And he is apparently responding to that pressure by offering solid ideas to the offense.