Inside Jets dysfunction article in the Athletic

[stevewin]

Subscription only  (and not written by Tyler Dunne 😛)

 

https://theathletic.com/5238599/2024/01/31/jets-aaron-rodgers-robert-saleh-season-collapse/

 

No surprise Hackett confirmed to be a clown show

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In an oft-repeated conflict at Florham Park, a star-studded defense that kept New York in games grew frustrated that the offense couldn’t find a way to put up more points. And offensive players felt like Rodgers’ hand-picked offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, failed to adjust after losing his quarterback and didn’t put them in positions to succeed

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Over the summer, Rodgers collaborated with Hackett to construct the offense — Saleh, as usual, was hands-off on that side of the ball. Rodgers and Hackett’s relationship dynamic is more frat brothers than player/coach, and Rodgers appreciates having the free will to operate the system as he sees fit. Both Rodgers and Hackett call the offense “quarterback friendly,” but as the Jets learned in 2023, that might only apply to one quarterback.

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Growing pains were expected in a new offense full of new personnel, but one coach said it was concerning how little urgency Hackett and his staff showed in trying to fix it, saying he’d never seen a team watch less practice tape in training camp than the Jets did with Hackett.

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Hackett struggled to adjust the offense to the team’s new reality. Multiple coaches and players described Hackett as lacking in attention to detail. For most of the season, Hackett would meet with offensive line coach/running game coordinator Keith Carter and passing game coordinator Todd Downing during the week but wouldn’t get together with the rest of the offensive staff until the “last minute” of game prep.

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Hackett will return as the offensive coordinator in 2024, though team and league sources say Saleh has explored adding to the offensive staff and creating a more collaborative play-calling process that would reduce Hackett’s role, a clear indication the team has lost confidence in his ability to run the offense on his own. Rodgers has been involved in those discussions.

 

Saleh doesn't come off great either

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But behind closed doors, the vibes weren’t always positive, especially when Saleh would see negative press reports. He would often bring up how, in his mind, the Giants don’t get as much negative coverage as the Jets, calling it unfair.

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In the aftermath of Rodgers’ injury, Saleh bemoaned his bad luck. 

...

As the Jets lost games and struggled to score points, job security seemed to be Saleh’s primary concern. He wished Johnson or Rodgers would publicly endorse him for 2024.

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As Rodgers was pushing the limits of torn Achilles rehab, determined to return in a little over three months — an unprecedented recovery time for that injury — Wilson, along with some Jets teammates and coaches, grew tired of the way Saleh fawned over Rodgers, according to team sources.

Interesting too they confirm the story that Wilson did in fact say he didn't want to play again

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When Wilson was benched for Boyle ahead of the Week 12 matchup with the Dolphins, he knew his Jets career was over. According to multiple team sources, in their meeting to discuss Wilson’s benching, Saleh told the quarterback he would be inactive for the rest of the season and that the team would try to trade him in the offseason.

But in the days before the Falcons game, Saleh reversed course and told Wilson to start practicing as if he might play again. He did not play against Atlanta, but after the Jets lost, Wilson knew they were considering starting him again. He expressed reluctance about returning to play and said he would politely decline if asked, based on his previous conversation with Saleh and fears of getting injured behind the Jets’ makeshift offensive line.

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Things went sideways for Saleh after the report about Wilson’s reluctance to return to the lineup.

“That’s a problem with the organization,” Rodgers said on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “We need to get to the bottom of whatever this is coming from and put a stop to it privately, because there’s no place in a winning culture … and this isn’t the only time. There’s been a bunch of other leaks.”

That sent Saleh into a tailspin. The coach held a meeting with his staff two days later where he asked the leaker to reveal himself, according to multiple people in attendance. “If you come forward now, you won’t get in trouble,” he told them while threatening to take their cell phones. Staffers were bemused by Saleh’s obsession with the Wilson story and his reaction to it.

 

Also they mention while things started with Rodgers taking Wilson under his wing and being "the big brother he never had" - by the end "Wilson’s feelings about his idol soured over the season."

 

It ends with Jets players being optimistic because Rodgers was "picking apart" the scout team when he came back.

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This offseason, the Jets will try to fix issues on the offensive line, at wide receiver and backup quarterback, but ultimately the organization believes the solution to most of its problems is simple: the return of Rodgers. It’s a risky proposition since he’s 40 and coming off an Achilles injury. But Rodgers welcomes doubters — it motivates him.

 

Edited January 31 by stevewin

[QCity]

4 minutes ago, stevewin said:

“That’s a problem with the organization,” Rodgers said on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “We need to get to the bottom of whatever this is coming from and put a stop to it privately, because there’s no place in a winning culture … and this isn’t the only time. There’s been a bunch of other leaks.”

 

 

Says the guy who goes on a national weekly radio show.

 

Crazy that Hackett still has a high level coaching position in the league in 2024.

[Gregg]

For them it all comes down to keeping Rodgers healthy. He gets hurt again then kiss the season good-bye and it doesnt matter who is calling the plays. No surprise the Jets are looking at OL for the draft. Per Rich Cimini.

 

 

Rich Cimini on X: "Apple of his eye? #Jets GM Joe Douglas has an affinity for Oregon State OT Taliese Fuaga, according to buzz in scouting circles. Has been eyeing him for months, I’m told. Fuaga is attending the Senior Bowl this week." / X (twitter.com)

Edited January 31 by Gregg

[MrEpsYtown]

Saleh and Douglas sold their souls and let Rodgers run the team. Hackett is complete garbage but will continue to get jobs because of nepotism. Rodgers took this young hungry roster and made these guys add slow old players. This thing was never going to work. 

 

But blame goes to the Gm and Saleh for allowing it to happen. 

[Gregg]

Just now, MrEpsYtown said:

Saleh and Douglas sold their souls and let Rodgers run the team. Hackett is complete garbage but will continue to get jobs because of nepotism. Rodgers took this young hungry roster and made these guys add slow old players. This thing was never going to work. 

 

But blame goes to the Gm and Saleh for allowing it to happen. 

 

 It was reported in the media last offseason that both Saleh and Douglas wanted Carr. But they were overruled by Johnson. Rodgers being a Jet is 100% on WJ.

[K D]

I find it funny that the story leaked about Saleh threatening the leaker 🤣

[strive_for_five_guy]

How are the Packers doing without Hackett and Rodgers?

[MrEpsYtown]

7 minutes ago, Gregg said:

 

 It was reported in the media last offseason that both Saleh and Douglas wanted Carr. But they were overruled by Johnson. Rodgers being a Jet is 100% on WJ.

 

Ok gotcha. That's insane. I have to give Saleh and Douglas a pass then. 

[GunnerBill]

Someone should tell Rodgers to get off the Pat McAfee show. That weekly sideshow is not helping anyone. 

[stuvian]

Dalvin Cook was in and out of there long enough to be a source. I feel sorry for Zach Wilson after reading that. He was doomed from the start. 

 

How amazing is it that billionaires turn over the keys to the castle to children like Hackett? The guy has done nothing but ride the coat tails of Aaron Rodgers.

[uticaclub]

12 minutes ago, Gregg said:

 

 It was reported in the media last offseason that both Saleh and Douglas wanted Carr. But they were overruled by Johnson. Rodgers being a Jet is 100% on WJ.

Jets are no better with Carr

[Gregg]

Just now, uticaclub said:

Jets are no better with Carr

 

They probably are. I doubt Carr gets hurt 4 plays into the season. Also, Carr is better than Wilson. 

[strive_for_five_guy]

5 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

Someone should tell Rodgers to get off the Pat McAfee show. That weekly sideshow is not helping anyone. 

Lol, you know Rodgers was kicked off the show, right???

[GunnerBill]

1 minute ago, strive_for_five_guy said:

Lol, you know Rodgers was kicked off the show, right???

 

Nah, he wasn't. That was a non-story. He is still appearing. 

[HardyBoy]

The biggest takeaway for me is they are going to be trying to do short term solutions to try and save their jobs.

 

I think Saleh is probably a good coach and hoping for his own sake he learns from this and does a better job blocking outside stuff out going forward (my guess is a bunch of us would get caught up in that stuff as well in his position the first time we face it).

 

That said, I think they probably should have made a coaching switch only because the second most dangerous thing is a coach making short term moves to try and save their job, and the most dangerous is a gm doing that.

[thenorthremembers]

Rodgers is an intelligent guy, but he isn't an emotionally intelligent guy.   He knows a lot about a lot, but his lack of emotional intelligence doesn't allow him to recognize the things he doesn't know, for example, being an NFL GM.   His arrogance led him to believe he should be involved in roster decisions and play calling.    Being a winning organization, the Packers saw it for what it was and moved on.    The Jets, being a losing organization with a head coach who is equally as arrogant bought into it.  The Packers chose the organization over Rodgers.  The Jets made Rodgers the organization.    

[strive_for_five_guy]

4 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Nah, he wasn't. That was a non-story. He is still appearing. 

No kidding.  Apparently McAfee was/is paying Rodgers like $1M/year to be on the show too.

[May Day 10]

The Jets were building a pretty good ship there.  

 

I was really worried they would get Lamar and then look out Bills and Dolphins

 

[stevewin]

6 minutes ago, thenorthremembers said:

Rodgers is an intelligent guy, but he isn't an emotionally intelligent guy.   He knows a lot about a lot, but his lack of emotional intelligence doesn't allow him to recognize the things he doesn't know, for example, being an NFL GM.   His arrogance led him to believe he should be involved in roster decisions and play calling.    Being a winning organization, the Packers saw it for what it was and moved on.    The Jets, being a losing organization with a head coach who is equally as arrogant bought into it.  The Packers chose the organization over Rodgers.  The Jets made Rodgers the organization.    

Related qute from article:

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It’s not uncommon for team decision-makers to consult star quarterbacks on potential roster additions, but the perception around the league was the Jets went beyond the norm. “Rodgers isn’t the assistant GM,” one AFC general manager said. “Joe Douglas is the assistant GM.”

 

[Don Otreply]

Good to see a division opponent in Turmoil, makes our path to success all the more attainable, 😁👍