Aaron Rodgers wasn't completely in the dark about Robert Saleh firing after all

The New York Jets made the unexpected decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday, upending the coaching staff just five weeks into the season. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will take on interim duties. Meanwhile, OC Nathaniel Hackett is ceding play-calling duties to quarterbacks coach Todd Downing.

All of a sudden, the Jets have an entirely new decision-making hierarchy. It's past time for the Jets to shake up the locker room, but it's fair to wonder if Saleh fell on the sword unjustly. He cannot be held responsible for the constant personnel failures of the front office. Plus, defense has been a strong suit for the Jets this season. It was Hackett's offense that fell short of expectations multiple times en route to New York's 2-3 start.

Hackett was allegedly on the hot seat, but Saleh was handed his pink slip before he could dole one out to Aaron Rodgers' favorite OC. Coincidence? According to the official reports, yes. But it's hard to believe that Rodgers' longstanding affinity for Hackett did not contribute to this specific sequence of events.

Jets owner Woody Johnson has proclaimed that he made the decision to fire Saleh, and that is was his decision alone. ESPN's Adam Schefter confirmed that narrative on Get Up.

As it turns out, however, Rodgers was at least aware of Saleh's job insecurity. According to Dianna Russini on the Dan Le Batard Show, the four-time MVP "knew" Johnson was contemplating Saleh's future, but Rodgers was not explicitly asked to weigh in on the decision.

Aaron Rodgers knew about Robert Saleh's hot seat before Jets fired him

If we take this report at face value — and Russini is as plugged-in as anybody — we should honestly commend the Jets. Firing the coach without even consulting Rodgers is a bold move, but it's proof that Rodgers does not have the entire organization under his thumb. Ever since his arrival, it has felt like New York is catering entirely too much to Rodgers, who hasn't exactly lived up to his reputation through five weeks.

Rodgers is still a competent quarterback, but he's 40 years old on the wrong side of an Achilles injury. He is also a major off-field headache, which has just intensified the pressure on this team. Rodgers loves to talk about focus and blocking out the noise, but he's more distracting off the field than your neighbor playing loud music at 4 AM.

In the year of our lord 2024, you simply cannot give Rodgers full dominion over your organization. Is it better for Woody Johnson to be making unilateral decisions that impact the entire organization? Maybe not, but at least the Jets are aware that the last four years have been unacceptable.

A fresh voice can completely revive a team — just look at how well the Raiders played after canning Josh McDaniels last season. Jeff Ulbrich is a longtime assistant, but this is his first head-coaching stint in the NFL. Only time will tell how successful it is, but perhaps a new perspective can wake up a sleeping giant.