Robert Saleh gets linked to NFL head coach job

Robert Saleh was fired as the head coach of the New York Jets after three-plus seasons last year, and many believed he was not given a fair shot. One longtime reporter thinks it is possible that Saleh will be given a chance to redeem himself in 2026.

Saleh got his old job back this season as the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. He had a previous successful run as the DC in San Francisco from 2017-2020, which led to him being hired by the Jets. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated thinks there is a good chance of Saleh once again making the jump from assistant under Kyle Shanahan to head coach.

In his latest mailbag that was published on Wednesday, Breer wrote that he expects Saleh to “elicit interest” from teams with head coach vacancies. One of those teams could be the New York Giants.

“I think Saleh is at least going to elicit interest, and may well land a job,” Breer wrote. “He’ll interview well, he’s very close with a lot of the Shanahan-McVay tree offensive coaches (so finding a good OC won’t be a chore), and he’ll be able to energize a franchise that’s fallen on hard times. I could see the Titans or the Giants taking a long look at him, paired potentially with a Mike McDaniel (if he doesn’t make it in Miami) or Mike LaFleur to run the offense.”

Saleh had an overall record of 20-36 with the Jets. He was fired after a 2-3 start last year, which was surprising given that Aaron Rodgers had worked his way back from a torn Achilles and was still trying to get his legs under him. Owner Woody Johnson believed the Jets’ roster had underachieved with Saleh, but the team then went 3-9 under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich.

The Jets are 2-8 under new head coach Aaron Glenn this season and have looked like one of the worst teams in the league.

Saleh is only 46, which is young by NFL head coach standards. There were indications that some of his players did not want him to be fired by the Jets, which is a positive sign. It would make sense for a team to give Saleh another chance and not hold his Jets tenure against him, especially given the way things have gone for the team since his departure.