Bill Belichick drops open criticism of Jets for firing coach Robert Saleh

Now that he's no longer coaching on the side in the NFL, legendary coach Bill Belichick is making his voice heard in all of the league's storylines during the 2024 season.

One of the biggest news heading into Week 6 games was the New York Jets' decision to fire coach Robert Saleh following their 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5 in London.

Despite widespread speculation that quarterback Aaron Rodgers was behind the coaching change, Jets owner Woody Johnson said it was his decision and his decision alone. No matter who made the decision, Belichick did not agree with the Jets' move.

“It’s definitely difficult. Especially this situation,” Belichick said on the website Let's go! Podcast. “You know, it’s one of the best defensive teams in the league. Robert made them like that. They were 32nd in his first year and were consistently in the top five and top three in most categories. So he did a great job on that side of the ball. And then they had some problems at quarterback, and now Aaron's back, but he's been out of football for a year.

“For me, it just felt a little too early to pull the shutter. But not untypical for the owner. Woody has always been difficult to predict what he will do. Some of it is just hard to understand,” but I think Saleh did a good job there. He has brought a strong culture to the defense and is obviously not quite there yet, but with the season still a long time away it seemed like a premature move.

Belichick himself once worked in the Jets organization for three years, from 1997 to 1999, as the team's defensive coordinator. The next year, in 2000, Belichick was hired as head coach of the New England Patriots and won six Super Bowl titles in 24 seasons.

The Jets will play their first game without Saleh on Monday night – a key AFC North clash against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium.