NFL

Jets fire head coach Robert Saleh and name Jeff Ulbrich interim head coach

After a 2-3 start, the Jets are sputtering and falling short — well short — of lofty preseason expectations. Something had to change. I just didn’t expect the change to happen this soon — or to involve Saleh.

That doesn’t make this the wrong decision, however. Saleh was 20-36 as the Jets’ head coach, struggling to win games with defense — his defense. After all, previous New York head coaches such as Rex Ryan and even Todd Bowles found greater success than Saleh with subpar offenses.

To salvage this season, one in which the Jets are just a game back in the forgiving AFC East, a move had to be made. Saleh is a defensive coach, but perhaps this shakeup jump starts a sluggish offense. New York isn’t going anywhere if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t play better.

The Jets have a big — no, huge — game coming next Monday at home versus the Bills. Maybe I’m aggrandizing things, but that contest will tell us where the story of the 2024 Jets is headed.

Grade: B+