Nathaniel Hackett may not have escaped Robert Saleh’s firing with all his duties

The New York Jets were expected to become one of the premier teams in the NFL when they acquired quarterback Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers in 2023.

But even the future Hall of Fame quarterback couldn’t rid the Meadowlands of the putrid stench of mediocrity. Dysfunction has weaved itself into the Jets’ cultural fabric, and that culture only proliferates every season. 

Even when Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles just four snaps in his Jets debut in 2023, there was still hope that the 2024 season would finally see New York end their 13-year postseason drought. Instead, the Jets haven’t looked much better than they did in 2023. 

Team owner Woody Johnson made the bold decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday, two days after the team fell to a 2-3 record in London.

Nathaniel Hackett is facing a demotion amid Jets coaching changes

Unfortunately, the problem with the Jets has been their offense, and firing the defensive-minded head coach changes very little about that issue. Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett is still calling plays in New York — at least for now.

During his introductory press conference, Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said there wouldn’t be any changes to the staff, but he suggested potential changes to play-calling responsibilities.

“We’re gonna take a deep dive on that in the next 36 hours and look at every possibility,” Ulbrich said. “I do not see changes in necessarily titles and positions. As far as responsibilities and the process itself, we’re gonna take a hard look at that.”

Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported that Saleh was contemplating firing Hackett before he got fired himself. 

Connor Hughes of SNY clarified that Saleh was going to change play-calling responsibilities without changing any job titles, which would have been similar to the changes alluded to by Ulbrich. Passing game coordinator Todd Downing was reportedly expected to take over play-calling duties on game day.

The Jets have been one of the worst offenses in the NFL this season. Through five games, they have ranked 23rd in first downs per game (18) and offensive points per game (18.6), and 27th in net passing yards per attempt (5.4) and total yards per game (286.6), per CBS Sports. 

The Jets were hoping that Rodgers would be able to instill a winning culture for their franchise the way Tom Brady did for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Despite being one of the most talented passers in NFL history, Rodgers has been unable to deliver on that expectation.