Robert Saleh gives a one-word answer to Nathaniel Hackett's Jets future amid Aaron Rodgers' struggles

When Aaron Rodgers ended his first season with the Jets last year after suffering an Achilles tendon injury in Week 1, the team's offense was struggling. At the time, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett claimed that things would change for the better with Rodgers' return. But five weeks into the new season, that hasn't happened yet.

Although Hackett's run designs and play calls haven't worked in the Jets' favor so far, Aaron Rodgers has his back. Ultimately, they came to New York almost as a package – the franchise using Hackett as a recruiting tool at quarterback. In fact, when Sean Payton called Hackett's stay with the Broncos “One of the worst coaching jobs in NFL history” Rodgers came to his defense.

“I felt very protective of him,” Rodgers said, according to the New York Post. “It's been a tough couple of years with some of the things (Payton) has said about him and then obviously the scrutiny because our offense was struggling. “I feel like he took a lot of it on the chin, but we want to show some things this year.” Until the Jets' Week 4 loss to the Broncos – after which they had a 2-2 record – it looked like Rodgers was doing everything he could to make the most of Hackett's play calls. But during their Week 5 game against the Vikings, it seemed like even the 40-year-old had had enough.

His frustration was evident whenever he was on the gridiron. And while he may have become the ninth player in the league to pass for 60,000 yards, it was his subpar stats that caught everyone's attention. The quarterback completed 29 of 54 passes for 244 yards with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, for a passer rating of 54.9. The thing is, those two touchdowns were the result of improvisation, not Nathaniel Hackett's decisions.

His three interceptions – two of them in the first quarter (the first time something like that happened to Rodgers) – came with three sacks and four offensive turnovers. Considering how much the Jets' offense has struggled despite names like Xavier Gipson, Malachi Corley and Mike Williams, it was no surprise that there were widespread calls to release Nathaniel Hackett. But it looks like head coach Robert Saleh has no intention of doing so.

Interestingly, although Robert Saleh mentioned that he wasn't looking for more offensive voices, he did interview a few coaches during the offseason. However, he made it clear that the aim was not to replace Hackett but to support him. When asked if the offensive coordinator's role changed before this season, Saleh said: “It's the same. He's still our playmaker. He still runs the offense. “He’s still in full control.” But that's exactly what fans and analysts don't agree with.

NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky was asked after Sunday's game Unsportsmanlike Radio: “Who’s to blame for what’s going on with the Jets?” Orlovsky replied: “Well, you have to blame Aaron and the offensive coordinator. It's because those two guys can't get the offense going. I think this offense has no choice but to bring in Davante (Adams).”

The Raiders wide receiver recently expressed his desire to be traded and the Jets have been in the race to sign him ever since. Orlovsky continued: “If you just line up and stand still, you are dependent on the execution. If you don’t have guys that can just be better than (the opponents), you’re going to fail when you play against a defense that can provide a little bit of coverage.”

Speaking of Aaron Rodgers and some of the blame that lies with him: In a now-deleted tweet from Sauce Gardner, the cornerback appeared to call out the quarterback for his passes. “When a QB throws the ball and there's full coverage, he throws the ball 100% and hopes it's a flag. Lol.” In addition, Rodgers suffered a minor injury during the game.

In the third quarter, on third down, Aaron Rodgers suffered a tackle. The quarterback's leg bent awkwardly, causing him to walk to the sideline before returning to the field. After the game, the medical team diagnosed the injury as a lower ankle sprain. However, Robert Saleh isn't worried about the signal-caller. The head coach brushed aside the question in the conference and claimed that the first tests were fine. But there are even bigger issues to deal with. The back-to-back losses shocked the locker room.

Will the Gang Green be able to turn things around? The clock is ticking for the team!

The radio host calls for the removal of Robert Saleh and Nathaniel Hackett

Throughout the offseason, there were reports of a cold war between the quarterback and the coach. Be it a trip to Egypt or a minicamp hop, there were a few opportunities where it looked like the two were in confrontation. However, after the defeats, the coach came under criticism. He is not alone; The OK is also criticized.

Mike Francesa, the host of the Mike Francesa Podcastcriticized both Robert Saleh and Nathaniel Hackett. While talking about the responsibility of the team, he said, “If I were the owner, Saleh would no longer be the coach. In season. I can't watch it anymore. Because there has to be a new order for this team, there has to be accountability for this team, and I would fire the offensive coordinator immediately. Immediately.“

The games didn't go the way the Jets had planned. Rodgers' performance wasn't exaggerated. In 5 games so far, the quarterback has completed 111 of 182 passes (61% pass completion rate) with 1,093 passing yards and 7 touchdowns. But the Jets want something different. A Super Bowl!

The season is just beginning and has become much more exciting. Stay tuned! We'll bring more stories from Robert Saleh and his team.