49ers news: Robert Saleh fired by Jets; Possible Niners reunion?

According to various reports, the New York Jets informed former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh on Tuesday morning that he has been relieved of his duties as head coach.

Saleh went 20-36 in three seasons as head coach, including a 2-3 record in 2024. Now that Aaron Rodgers is healthy, this should be the year New York turns things around.

When it comes to the quarterback position, Saleh has had a lot of trouble. The Jets had six different starting quarterbacks during Saleh's short tenure. Rodgers didn't make it past the first series in 2023.

This year, he looks like a 40-year-old quarterback coming off a season-ending injury. Rodgers has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 7/4. He averages 6.0 yards per attempt, which puts him between Miami Dolphins backup quarterbacks Tim Boyle and Skylar Thompson, and completes just 61 percent of his passes.

The Jets have allowed the second-fewest yards per game defensively and rank third in EPA per pass allowed. Despite lacking their primary pass rusher, the Jets rank third in quarterback pressure percentage this year.

However, as head coach, you are responsible for every phase. The Jets are placed in the same offensive categories as the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears – two teams starting rookie quarterbacks. If there was anyone to fire, it was the offensive coordinator.

The game in London against the Minnesota Vikings was painful to watch. New York was completely outgunned offensively and had no plan of attack for a Brian Flores defense. To be fair, not many do, but the Jets have no identity on that side of the ball.

Additionally, the Jets don't have a Saleh problem. You have a general manager problem. The Jets are 29-59 under general manager Joe Douglas. Saleh was the scapegoat.

There will be several teams that need Saleh's services in defense. The 49ers have Nick Sorensen and Brandon Staley, but could they bring Saleh back as a consultant and perhaps hire him as a coordinator later if the Sorensen experiment doesn't work? They come from the same coaching family.