NFL fans and analysts alike were surprised by the New York Jets’ firing of head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday. New York’s defensive success and offensive struggles seemed to indicate Saleh was performing his duties well, but the league’s ultimate measure of achievement is victories. And by that metric, the Jets were one of the NFL’s worst teams during Saleh’s tenure.
Advertisement
New York’s AFC franchise has won just 20 games since hiring Saleh in 2021. Those 20 wins are the third-fewest in the league over that span. Only the Carolina Panthers (15) and Chicago Bears (19) have won less frequently than the Jets.
The Jets’ placement atop the league leaderboard in penalties in both, last season and this year also hampered Saleh’s case for retaining his job. NFL Network reporter Judy Battista offered additional insight during an appearance on Tuesdays episode of The Insiders.
“They looked unprepared. Sometimes they looked lethargic. And lets be blunt… last year, you could dump it all on Zach Wilson… there [is] no excuse this year. I know people are saying Robert Saleh is the scapegoat… maybe that’s so. But they are not getting rid of Aaron Rodgers… there’s only so much you can do to shake up a team once you’re in the season.”
New York (2-3) may be in turmoil, but their problems aren’t in nearly the same weight class as Carolina’s. The Panthers (1-4) benched 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young after two starts this season. They’ve started journeyman Andy Dalton ever since, and are run by one of the league’s consensus worst owners (David Tepper).
Carolina’s pain has been the Chicago’s gain. The Bears (3-2) selected highly-touted QB prospect Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. That selection came from the Panthers. Williams wasn’t great in his first two games, but started looking the part in Weeks 4 and 5, where Chicago won back-to-back contests.
Chiefs, Cowboys and Bills have the most wins since 2021
While the Panthers, Bears and Jets have resided in the NFL’s basement, some of the league’s most popular teams have piled up wins. The Kansas City Chiefs (42 wins), Dallas Cowboys (39) and Buffalo Bills (38) have been the NFL’s best franchises over the past three seasons-plus.
The biggest differentiator between the top three organizations and the bottom three? Their quarterbacks. The Chiefs, Bills and Cowboys all have franchise signal-callers locked into long-term contracts.
Right now, New York and Carolina don’t appear to have long-term QB solutions. Chicago feels like they finally have their man in Williams, but it’s still too early to be definitive in that belief. His next chance to prove himself comes in the Bears’ Week 6 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
