A very much out of left-field story dropped earlier this week that NFL insider Jason LaConfora that Jets owner Woody Johnson could make a change to the Jets coaching staff, with a screaming headline on NJ.com stating that Johnson "isn't sold on" head coach Robert Saleh.
Whether that is true or not is anyone's guess. The only people who truly know are Saleh, Johnson and Joe Douglas. That's it.
We do take this report with a grain of salt, considering LaConfora, formally of CBS, now with the Washington Post, has a reputation of being wrong on potential "Insider" news. That doesn't mean his report isn't valid, it very well could be.
If the Jets should miss the playoffs, would it be surprising if Johnson made such a dramatic move as changing the head coach? Yes, it would be startling and disapointing. Even if the Jets miss the playoffs, Saleh and General Manager Joe Douglas have changed the culture with the Jets. Players love playing for Saleh, and he has comported himself as a true professional.
The Jets are a better team and franchise today thanks to Saleh and his coaching staff than they were two years ago under Adam Gase. That is not hyperbole, that is a fact.
Yes, the Jets have issues; mainly at quarterback. Zach Wilson is clearly not the answer, and should be dealt this spring or after June 1 when the dead money hit isn't as great.
Mike White will start the rest of the season, and should he play well, White deserves the opportunity to compete for the starting job next season -- should the Jets re-sign him.
If Johnson is smart, Saleh and Joe Douglas should remain at their jobs, and be given the necessary leeway to continue building their program as they see fit. Saleh comes from winning programs in Seattle and San Francisco. Both the Seahawks and 49ers have given Pete Carroll and Kyle Shanahan, respectively, the support needed to build winning programs. Both have succeeded to this day.
Rome wasn't built in a day, and the Jets shouldn't hit the panic button just for the sake of hitting it.
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