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While Aaron Rodgers may have had the final say (although he claims he did not), the overarching belief surrounding former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh is that he’d lost the support of the locker.
This belief was backed, in part, by former Jets offensive lineman Mekhi Becton trolling Saleh on social media shortly after his firing.
But not everyone felt that way about Saleh, and you can count superstar defensive back Sauce Gardner among Saleh’s supporters.
Some poignant stuff from Sauce Gardner, speaking about Robert Saleh. Gardner won’t see this post because, as he told reporters, he deleted his social media accounts because of the negativity. #Jets pic.twitter.com/2KxJxCtDMX
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) October 10, 2024
“I was shocked. The reality is we’re 2-3 and everything is still in front of us,” Gardner said of Saleh’s firing. “I was really shocked. Coach Saleh and me were extremely close from the day that the Jets first drafted me. To be honest, like, he changed my life. Where I come from and all the stuff that I’ve been through growing up in Detroit, and for him to be able to take a chance on me.
“For his birthday I text him and every year I always say ‘I appreciate you for taking a chance on me.’ He really changed my life, he changed my family’s life. That was always the goal for me in life, and he made that happen.”
To his point, Saleh really seemed to carry for his players.
Well, maybe not Rodgers. But certainly the rest of his players, or at least the defense.
Shortly after his firing, he released a statement addressing the move and his now former players.
“To the Jets Organization, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with so many incredible people. I will always be appreciative of the love and support from everyone at 1 Jets Drive,” Saleh wrote. “To all of the players, I truly love and appreciate every single one of you. The character of the men in the locker room made coaching you guys the ultimate privilege. Through all the ups and downs, each and every one of you showed up every day and attacked every moment.”
Saleh always seemed like a good guy. And it’s not his fault that Rodgers appears to be completely washed. But he also didn’t seem like a particularly good NFL coach. And eventually that was always going to come back to bite him.