The great Robert Saleh mystery should finally get put to rest

The numbers have become attached to Robert Saleh’s name — 18-33. 

You hardly hear a mention of Saleh now without those two numbers following shorty after. That is Saleh’s record as the Jets head coach, of course. 

That .353 winning percentage has understandably made people wonder whether Saleh is the answer as the Jets coach. As we enter Year 4 with Saleh at the helm, it remains a question of whether he is a good head coach. 

But with apologies to Bill Parcells, this is not you are what your record says you are. 

For Saleh, his first three years have come with some of the worst quarterback play imaginable, and that has colored everything about the Jets in his tenure. Zach Wilson, Mike White, Joe Flacco, Josh Johnson, Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian have all played the position for Saleh. There have been some spasms of good quarterback play from that group, but it has mostly been performances that made Jets fans want to turn their TVs off. 

That should change this season. Aaron Rodgers put on a display on Wednesday in a joint practice with the Giants that just reaffirmed his capability and his status as one of the best quarterbacks to ever throw a football. 

“I think he’s the best quarterback I’ve ever seen,” Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner said. 

He’s at least in the team photo of the best who has ever played. 

Rodgers carved up a Giants secondary that won’t draw comparisons to the Legion of Boom, but it was still impressive just how surgical he was. He and Garrett Wilson connected on touchdowns of 65 and 55 yards. The 55-yarder was thrown off Rodgers’ back foot and looked like a cruise missile dropping into the hands of Wilson. The throw had Jets players and coaches on the sideline looking at each other with jaws dropped. 

It was another tantalizing glimpse of what might be for the Jets offense this season … and for Saleh. 

Under Saleh, the Jets have developed a top-five defense and one of the best special teams units in the league. But the offense has consistently been a flop. The offense has ranked 28, 29 and 29 in points per game in his three years. 

Rodgers should elevate everyone around him, and that includes Saleh. 

The offense has been putrid in Saleh’s three years. The Jets have averaged 17.1 points per game, the worst in the NFL over that time. If the Jets had just scored 21 points in their games, they would have won nine more. 

Instead, it has been a steady stream of games where the Jets treated the end zone like it was a toxic waste dump that needed to be avoided. 

Look at where the quarterbacks the Jets used last year are: Wilson is fighting to win the backup job with the Broncos, Boyle is a camp arm for the Texans who won’t make the team and Siemian is out of the NFL. 

Still, the Jets won seven games last season with those quarterbacks, a testament to how strong other aspects of the team were. 

Saleh knows this is his last shot to prove he is the head coach the Jets believed they were getting when they hired him in 2021. Rodgers holds the head coach’s future in his right hand. The Jets and Saleh know all too well how things can change after only having Rodgers for four plays last season, but there is a confidence around the Jets right now that they are a good team and are ready to have a big season. 

Much of that optimism starts with No. 8. 

“I’m telling you [Rodgers’] arm is 30,” Saleh said before Wednesday’s practice. “You guys see him every day, his arm is still 30, and he’s got plenty of mobility. He showed that in Carolina getting out of the pocket several times, he does it in practice. I think he is absolutely ready to go.” 

So are the Jets. The offense looked strong beyond just Rodgers against the Giants. The revamped offensive line held up against a tough Giants front. Garrett Wilson looked like the best player on the field not named Rodgers. Allen Lazard and Breece Hall made plays. 

All of it should have Saleh smiling. With a healthy Aaron Rodgers, Saleh has a chance to prove this season that he is not what his record says he is.