Report: Robert Saleh escorted from Jets facility by team director of security

The New York Jets had Robert Saleh escorted out of the building by the team’s director of security after he was fired, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

It was a surprising decision and one the Jets didn’t make when they previously fired Adam Gase, who was Saleh’s predecessor in New York. The move adds insult to injury for Saleh, as he reportedly had no idea he was being canned on Tuesday,

“Yes, dysfunctional teams do dysfunctional things. As to one specific thing that happened this morning, it’s a dysfunctional thing that didn’t happen the last time the Jets fired a head coach. Per multiple sources, Jets coach Robert Saleh was escorted out of the building by the team’s director of security, after Saleh got the news,” Florio reported. “That didn’t happen, we’re told, when the Jets fired Saleh’s predecessor, Adam Gase.”

Evidently, the decision to fire him was a surprise to many in Florham Park, but it came directly from ownership, so the move to escort Saleh out would’ve likely been a decision from above, as well.

In an interesting tidbit of information shared in the time since, Jets owner Woody Johnson didn’t actually hire Saleh — his brother, Christopher Johnson, did so while he was serving as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom under President Donald Trump.

Moving forward, defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will be the interim head coach. He has the respect of many with the Jets, but that doesn’t make the move less surprising.

“This morning, I informed Robert Saleh that he will no longer serve as the Head Coach of the Jets,” Woody Johnson’s statement on the firing read. “I thanked for him for his hard work these past three-and-a-half years and wished him and his family well moving forward. This was not an easy decision, but we are not where we should be given our expectations, and I believe now is the best time for us to move in a different direction.

“Jeff Ulbrich will serve as our Interim Head Coach for the remainder of the season. He is a tough coach who has the respect of the coaches and players on this team. I believe he along with the coaches on this staff can get the most out of our talented team and attain the goals we established this offseason.”

Robert Saleh’s time with the Jets will be remembered for strong defense and inconsistent quarterback play. He’ll likely land on his feet as a defensive coordinator sooner rather than later, and whether New York can salvage their season moving forward will be interesting to watch.