Jets head coach Robert Saleh is the owner of a career record of 18-33 and has never managed a winning season. In fairness to Saleh, the dearth of talent and myriad of injuries his team has battled through in recent years should allow for somewhat of a pass for his team’s failures. However, there have been plenty of issues that have little to do with talent and injuries that Saleh has to clean up if he’s finally going to pilot a team to the playoffs.
Especially in looking at the roster he has been handed by general manager Joe Douglas.
Saleh will be going to battle with Aaron Rodgers under center who, despite coming off of a ruptured achilles, was named by current coaches and executives as a top 10 signal caller according to the folks at ESPN. Those same executives tabbed running back Breece Hall as the second best runner in the league while placing defensive tackle Quinnen Williams in the same spot at his position.
Add this to the Jets likely having the best trio of cornerbacks in the league with Sauce Gardner, DJ Reed and Michael Carter, a top duo at linebacker in Quincy Williams and CJ Mosley, and a deep roster of pass rushers led by Haason Reddick and Jermaine Johnson and you’ve got plenty of firepower to win football games.
Earning honorable mention in the top 10 offensive tackles was of course Tyron Smith, whose injury history is likely the only reason he wasn’t viewed as a top 3 player at his position. With Smith anchoring an offensive line that consists of John Simpson, Joe Tippmann, Alijah Vera-Tucker and Morgan Moses should mean plenty of time for Rodgers to throw and room for Hall to run.
If this roster stays even remotely healthy, there’s no reason why Saleh shouldn’t enjoy his first playoff appearance as a head coach, and the first Jets fans will get to enjoy since 2010.