No, Aaron Rodgers didn’t play a role in Robert Saleh’s firing

The New York Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday morning, two days after falling to 2-3 with a loss in London to the Minnesota Vikings. It's a curious move for several reasons, from the timing — not just in-season but days before a huge Week 6 clash with the division-rival Buffalo Bills — to the decision itself. Saleh made plenty of mistakes over his three-plus seasons at the helm in New York, but he consistently delivered quality defenses, and if anything it's been the offense that's held the team back so far in 2024.

Given all of that, it's hard to avoid the implication that Saleh found himself on the losing end of a power struggle, specifically with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The two have gotten into some public spats over the past few weeks, and the abruptness of the move suggests that this yet another case of Rodgers getting what he wanted (despite not really playing like a player who deserves that sort of leeway).

Not so fast, however. According to at least one report, Saleh's firing has nothing to do with Rodgers or his relationship with the head coach at all.

Report: Aaron Rodgers and Robert Saleh were 'getting along'

Per Jordan Schultz, Saleh and Rodgers had a decent, if not overly warm, relationship. In Schultz's account, it was owner Woody Johnson alone who made the decision to let Saleh go, without any consultation with his QB at all.

Whether you buy that version of events is another story. It seems pretty clear that Schultz's source(s) here come from Jets leadership, rather than Saleh's side, and they obviously have a vested interest in making sure fans know that Rodgers isn't calling the shots in the building. On the other hand, it's not hard to imagine Johnson deciding that enough was finally enough: Saleh was thought to be on the hot seat entering this season, and a 2-3 start isn't what anyone had in mind. This version of New York's defense has been good but not quite as great as we've grown accustomed to, and while the timing is curious, it's not like Saleh has earned the benefit of the doubt as to his ability as a head coach. Rodgers likely didn't object, but if there's one thing we know about Johnson, it's that he's not above getting impulsive every now and then.