Robert Saleh turned up at Packers observe Wednesday, and it doesn’t seem the just lately fired Jets HC was merely visiting. Matt LaFleur has a job in thoughts for the veteran defensive coach.
Crediting Saleh with serving to him break into the NFL teaching ranks, LaFleur mentioned Saleh will work with the staff by Thursday in a “fluid” position, via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky. Saleh was not expected coach elsewhere this season, however he has determined to assist LaFleur for no less than this week.
Saleh and LaFleur lived collectively whereas graduate assistants at Central Michigan within the 2000s. Saleh then inspired Gary Kubiak to rent LaFleur as a Texans offensive assistant in 2008, Demovsky provides. LaFleur was one of the best man at Saleh’s wedding ceremony. Have been Saleh to backtrack on a plan to remain out of teaching for this season’s the rest, it might make sense for that change of coronary heart to contain the Packers.
The Jets fired Saleh after five games this season. Woody Johnson made the choice, going round GM Joe Douglas to take action. Saleh has remained in contact with interim Jets HC Jeff Ulbrich and would stand, based mostly on his 49ers previous and the Jets’ defensive turnaround over the previous three seasons, to be a coveted DC candidate come 2025. Saleh, 45, might effectively keep busy within the meantime.
Some Jets gamers, per Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline, view Johnson as appearing too shortly. On account of this — and presumably the staff’s two losses beneath Ulbrich — less-than-ideal vibes are current within the locker room. Saleh went 20-36 as Jets HC, however a lot of that tenure concerned QB bust Zach Wilson on the controls. Johnson cited a lack of belief in Saleh’s ability to turn this season around. Whereas Ulbrich and Aaron Rodgers may ultimately accomplish that, they’ve dug a deeper gap for the reason that full-time HC’s firing.
LaFleur mentioned Saleh is engaged on the offensive aspect, however the non permanent assistant has a historical past with new Packers DC Jeff Hafley as effectively. Hafley labored beneath Saleh as San Francisco’s DBs coach from 2017-18.
