Jets fans have seen this movie before: Robert Saleh leaves New York, and suddenly the national conversation starts treating him like a coaching genius who just needed the right stage.
That’s been the tone all offseason around Tennessee, where Saleh has been cast as a major reason the Titans might be ready to surprise people. The hype has gotten so loud that, by the way it’s been discussed, you’d think he was some impossible mix of Bill Parcells, Vince Lombardi, and Sean McVay.
Tennessee took the swing anyway, betting on Saleh to help make sure the Cam Ward era gets off the ground the right way. Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay was among those buying into the idea, naming the Titans one of five underrated teams that could fight for a playoff spot. Kay pointed to several offseason additions, including Saleh reuniting with defensive playmakers John Franklin-Myers and Jermaine Johnson II, as part of the case.
And that’s where the disconnect starts to get hard to ignore.
No one is arguing that Saleh doesn’t have a strong résumé as a defensive coordinator with the 49ers, both before and after his time with the Jets. But the leap from excellent coordinator to proven head coach is where the conversation keeps getting blurry. Josh McDaniels is the obvious cautionary tale for this era, a reminder that the two jobs are not the same thing.
Saleh’s run with the Jets should still matter here. His teams were, at best, average, and even that may be generous.
The record says 20-36, and there’s no way around that. Yes, the Jets were a dysfunctional organization during his tenure, and that context matters.
But it doesn’t erase what happened on the field.
The bigger question is why the national media keeps acting like Saleh was merely trapped in the wrong place at the wrong time, as if that alone settles the debate. Maybe he is better in a smaller market.
Maybe the fit in Tennessee is cleaner. But the stakes are still real, especially with a quarterback the Titans believe can become the face of the franchise.
Ward showed flashes as a rookie when his offensive line held up. If Tennessee’s goal is to get the most out of him, the logic of choosing an experienced, offensive-minded coach who has already helped develop young quarterbacks is easy to understand.
Instead, the Titans went with Saleh, and plenty of observers are following along. Even with the AFC South expected to be competitive, the optimism around this move has been strong.
For Jets fans, the whole thing is familiar. And the Week 1 meeting with Tennessee can’t get here fast enough.
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