AARON RODGERS BLASTS PHANTOM REPORTS HE FIRED ROBERT SALEH:

Aaron Rodgers resents the accusations that he orchestrated the New York Jets decision to fire Robert Saleh, but where is he even finding those accusations?

Jets owner Woody Johnson made the surprising decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh Tuesday morning. And while Johnson’s ultimate decision of moving on from Saleh and his 20-36 coaching record has received support, the timing was a surprise considering it occurred just five weeks into the season with the Jets only one game out of first place.

Still, it has been widely reported as being Johnson’s decision, and one that received no input from Rodgers. Despite the decision already being attributed to Johnson, Rodgers felt the need to dispel any reports that he prompted Saleh’s firing during his Wednesday afternoon appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.

“As far as any of the ridiculous allegations out there, I’m not gonna spend more than one sentence in response to it,” Rodgers told McAfee. “And that is that I resent any of those allegations because they’re patently false. It’s interesting, the amount of power that people think that I have, which I don’t. But I love Robert.”

McAfee responded by predicting the media will deceitfully spin what Rodgers said into a false narrative.

“They’ll take something you said there and chop it up and then say…that’s the world we’re in. Journalistic standards,” McAfee said at the end of the above 43-second clip that his show chopped up and shared on social media.

The question to Rodgers, however, is where are those “ridiculous allegations” coming from? To be fair, there have been some pretty wild rumors spreading about the reason Saleh was fired, but almost none of them begin with Rodgers. It might be a narrative found among fans on social media, but the media is not reporting this was Rodgers’ decision.

There is reason to think Rodgers may have wanted to move on from Saleh. The fact that Saleh called his trip to Egypt an “unexcused absence,” their awkward non-hug, and the “cadence” issue that was a head coach-created narrative, not a media-driven one. The media could have claimed Rodgers wanted Saleh fired and pointed to those examples, but they’re not. Rodgers might even deserve blame for Saleh’s firing, but only because his poor play on the field is the lead reason the Jets are stuck at 2-3 on the season.

Does it seem strange that Johnson would have spoken to Rodgers hours before firing Saleh without tipping his star quarterback off on the decision he was mulling? Sure. But believing Johnson may have privately warned Rodgers of his imminent decision is very different from reporting the quarterback fired his own head coach. Taking a broad scan of the reporting in the wake of Saleh’s firing, it would be a ridiculous allegation to claim the media is pinning this firing on Rodgers. Jets and NFL reporters should resent any of those allegations.

- Brandon Contes

JETS FIRE ROBERT SALEH AFTER 2-3 START, TAB JEFF ULBRICH INTERIM

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Upset by the team's 2-3 start, Jets owner Woody Johnson made a stunning and unprecedented move Tuesday morning, firing coach Robert Saleh and naming defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich as the interim head coach.

Johnson, with his first in-season coaching change in 25 years of ownership, said he consulted with general manager Joe Douglas, but he called it "my decision and mine alone." Woody Johnson and his brother, Christopher Johnson, the vice chairman, broke the news to Saleh in his office at the team facility.

Saleh was shocked, sources said. He was escorted to his car by the director of security, a source confirmed, in what was described as protocol.

"This is probably the best team I've had in 25 years," Johnson said on a conference call with reporters. "I just felt that the best way to go forward was a new direction. Taking Jeff Ulbrich and making him the interim head coach, I thought that would get the most out of this team and give us the best chance that we all want to have, which is going to the playoffs."

Saleh, who promised multiple championships when he was hired in 2021, finished with a 20-36 record and no playoff appearances. The Jets have a 13-year playoff drought, the longest active drought in the NFL, but they began the season with Super Bowl expectations, in large part because of quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The Jets' Week 4 loss to the Broncos shook the organization. The next day, the Johnsons and team president Hymie Elhai expressed their concerns to Saleh in a meeting, according to multiple sources. In a sense, Saleh was coaching for his job on Sunday in London, where the Jets dropped their second straight game -- a 23-17 loss to the undefeated Vikings.

"It's not just the last two games that has precipitated this decision; it's a longer time frame," Johnson said. "I've had a couple years to think about this, and, yeah, I just think we can do better. The team can do better as we have this new leadership."

Ulbrich, in a midafternoon video conference with reporters, described the change as "four hours of craziness." He addressed the entire team Tuesday, saying his message to the players was, "It's time to lock arms."

He has some big decisions to make in the next 24 hours as the Jets begin preparations for Monday night against the Bills. The biggest one involves embattled offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who could be stripped of his playcalling duties. Ulbrich was noncommittal, though he did say he would consult with Rodgers. A source confirmed that Saleh was prepared to demote Hackett, only to be fired himself just minutes later.

"I do not see changes in, necessarily, titles and positions," Ulbrich said. "As far as responsibilities and the process itself, we're going to take a hard look at that."

That includes whether Ulbrich will relinquish his defensive playcalling to another coach on staff.

The struggles on offense, in particular, have pained Johnson. Sources said he forced Saleh to change offensive coordinators after the 2022 season, replacing Mike LaFleur with Hackett. The Jets traded for Rodgers, who, after missing nearly the entire 2023 season with a torn Achilles, has failed to elevate the unit this season.

Addressing the offense, Johnson said, "I think one of the reasons that I decided to make a coaching change at the highest level is exactly that. We need to find ways to win, and so we're not going to find those ways by doing the same thing over and over and over."

Under Saleh, the Jets started six quarterbacks -- Zach Wilson (33 games), Mike White (7), Rodgers (6), Joe Flacco (5), Trevor Siemian (3) and Tim Boyle (2).

"We've been underperforming for whatever the reason, and we're going to take a hard look at all of it," Ulbrich said, speaking of the entire team.

"I really believe, we lock arms, we commit to the process that we put in place, and we will have success. We will," Ulbrich added.

Despite the Sept. 30 meeting with Saleh and team brass, there was a sense in the organization that Johnson would wait a few weeks before making any major changes if the losing continued. On Monday, Saleh expressed confidence that they'd get it turned around, telling reporters, "I'm not panicked. Nobody in the building is panicked."

Still, there were signs of locker room grumbling after the loss in London.

"I'm going to be honest, people get tired of hearing the same s---," linebacker Quincy Williams told SNY. "People have to take accountability from the top to the bottom. That's all I have to say ... people have to start taking accountability. I'm tired of saying the same thing every week."

Johnson said Rodgers had no input into the coaching change. He said he spoke to Rodgers after Sunday's game, claiming Saleh's status or a potential move wasn't discussed. There had been speculation of a rift between Saleh and Rodgers, dating to Saleh's decision to fine the four-time MVP for taking a vacation to Egypt during the mandatory minicamp. Publicly, both men denied any friction in their relationship.

Despite the two-game losing streak, the Jets are only one game out of first place in the AFC East. Their game against the Bills (3-2) is for a share of the division lead.

- Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer

JETS' ZACH WILSON 'UNBELIEVABLE ' IN WINNING RETURN AS STARTER

AP Photo

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Benched three times in his career and dismissed by fans and media as a first-round bust, New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson delivered the kind of performance Sunday that was envisioned for him as the No. 2 pick in 2021.

"Zach was unbelievable," coach Robert Saleh said after the Jets snapped a five-game losing streak with a 30-6 rout of the Houston Texans at a rainswept MetLife Stadium.

Back in the lineup after a two-game benching, Wilson passed for 301 yards and two touchdowns, posting career bests for passer rating (117.9) and completion percentage (75%). It was his third 300-yard passing day in 32 starts, but his first in a victory. Saleh called it the best game of Wilson's career, and it left teammates buzzing about his resilience.

They described an unburdened Wilson, who, frustrated by the way he has been treated by the organization, vowed to teammates that he'd play with a chip on his shoulder and for the team. That resonated in the locker room.

"He told me, 'I'm playing for y'all. I've got nothing to lose,'" cornerback D.J. Reed said. "He said, 'What's the worst that can happen, I get benched again?' That's what he said and that's the way he played. It showed."