Who will replace Robert Saleh? Finding the 3 best solutions for New York Jets

Death, taxes and the New York Jets not making the AFC playoffs. Gang Green is riding the longest active playoff drought streak in the NFL by a considerable margin. 2010 was a long time ago, and outside of Aaron Rodgers, who else on this team was old enough to shave their face the last time they made the playoffs? All jokes aside, the Jets were the first team to fire their head coach Tuesday.

Yes, the Jets decided to move on from Robert Saleh five games into the 2024 NFL season. While New York was 2-3 on the season at the time of his dismissal, their two wins are over arguably two of the worst teams in football in the rival New England Patriots and the rebuilding Tennessee Titans. Owner Woody Johnson signed up for whatever that comes with Aaron Rodgers playing for them. Good luck!

While it seems as though general manager Joe Douglas is safe, this is the same man who drafted Zach Wilson No. 2 overall out of BYU after a COVID season. Anybody who watched college football could have told you that he wasn't going to work in Florham Park. But that pro day was so amazing! What isn't amazing is the Jets having not made the playoffs since Barack Obama's first term in office.

ESPN's Adam Schefter dropped this Gang Green bombshell on the NFL world late Tuesday morning.

And since y'all need to hire a new head coach this offseason, I have three potential solutions for you.

3. Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick

While I do think Jeff Ulbrich will impress us as the Jets' interim head coach, what does Woody Johnson like doing more than winning games? Winning press conferences! The initial Aaron Rodgers press conference was the best thing to happen to this team since Mark Sanchez played quarterback for Rex Ryan. After how bad his exit one was 25 years ago, let's see if Bill Belichick wants an NFL job.

Truth be told, I think Belichick would rather cut his hand off than work for Johnson. He has seen first-hand how bad of an owner he is for two decades. Ownership change was the biggest reason why he resigned from briefly being this team's head coach after his mentor Bill Parcells walked away. However, there is one thing the Jets can give Belichick that he covets so dearly: NFL games to coach.

He may be firmly in his 70s, but is within striking distance of breaking Don Shula's all-time wins record. Belichick was up for the Atlanta Falcons job this past offseason that went to Raheem Morris. So far that hire seems to have worked out for the Dirty Birds. While I don't think Belichick would have any interest throwing himself onto this perpetual grease fire, his ego might think that he can win here.

Belichick is only a dark horse candidate for the job, but I am only giving you three solutions on the fly.

2. Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn

Everybody is saying Ben Johnson and Ben Johnson that. Well, even if he does leave the Detroit Lions after this season, it won't be for the Jets. He was supposedly especially particular about picking his first head-coaching job this past offseason cycle. While he may be a top candidate this offseason cycle as well, I would probably return to Detroit for one more year than getting into bed with the Jets.

That being said, I think there is a better head-coaching candidate on the Lions' staff for the Jets than even Ben Johnson. I am talking about their defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Not only does he stem from the same Sean Payton tree as his boss and former New Orleans Saints colleague Dan Campbell, but Glenn used to star for the Jets when they were pretty good in the very late 1990s.

Even if Robert Saleh failed, I would go with a defensive-minded coach in Florham Park because that has usually been a common thread when this team wins. When you go offensive-minded, you end up hiring a dweeb who is addicted to smelling salts named Adam Gase. Glenn seems to be a strong defenisve-minded head coach. More importantly, he seems to be an alpha male and a leader of men.

Hiring Glenn would be a better packaged version of promoting Ulbrich from within, as he played here.

1. Former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel

Don't be dumb. This is what you do. You give up the farm you gave to Aaron Rodgers, and you hire Mike Vrabel. Don't think twice about it. Just do it. While he is serving as an analyst on what might be Kevin Stefanski's final Cleveland Browns staff, the Tennessee Titans should not have fired Vrabel to begin with. This only happened because Amy Adams Strunk is her late father Bud Adams' daughter...

It is not even close. Vrabel is by far and away the best head-coaching candidate out there. He can get any job he wants, college or pro. Should Ryan Day fail at his alma mater, I would entertain Ohio State. But the reason the Jets need to roll out the green carpet for Vrabel is this: He would be a top candidate for other teams in your region who need a head coach. Look at the NFC East for example...

Outside of Dan Quinn in Washington, the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles would all want him over the guy they currently have. I would say Jacksonville, New Orleans and maybe even Cleveland possibly promoting him from within would him to. Vrabel would command Rodgers' respect. He is a mentor to Rodgers' best friend A.J. Hawk. I think Vrabel wins divisions with the Jets.

If Woody Johnson has to give 10 percent equity of all of his family's company to make it work, do it!