Jets HC Robert Saleh shares surprising take about missing playoffs

New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh spoke with media members at the NFL owners meetings on Monday and suggested that he wouldn't necessarily consider it a failure if the club doesn't end the longest active playoff drought among the four major North American sports leagues (13 straight seasons) in January 2025. 

"I’ll never say that," Saleh explained, according to Al Iannazzone of Newsday and Ryan Chichester of Audacy. "We all want to win games. We all want to go to the playoffs. We all want to win championships. That’s been the goal since the day we walked in here. Felt like we were going to have that opportunity last year. It didn’t happen. This year’s about picking ourselves up, putting our heads down and just working." 

Saleh accumulated a record of 18-33 across his first three campaigns with the Jets but received a mulligan from team owner Woody Johnson after starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles four offensive snaps into the 2023 regular season. While Johnson declined in February to attach a "playoffs or bust" mantra to the 2024 Jets, it's believed he could blow things up next winter if the club misses the postseason again. 

"You [only] get so many opportunities, but the pressure to win is always there in the NFL," Saleh acknowledged. "You’re always trying to achieve what you set out to achieve. There’s only one team happy at the end of the year and that’s the team that’s hoisting the [Vince Lombardi Trophy]." 

As Bobby Kownack mentioned for the NFL's website, the Jets have already made multiple noteworthy offseason moves to bolster their offensive line and give Rodgers needed protection. Gang Green also signed former Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams to serve as a reliable No. 2 option at the position who will feature alongside 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson. 

Regardless of what Saleh has to say, individuals such as Rich Cimini of ESPN haven't been shy about claiming the Jets will enter this year's draft a "win-now" team. As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Jets at -135 betting odds to qualify for the playoffs. 

"The reality is winning offseasons doesn’t matter," Saleh admitted. "We've got to win football games. No matter how much excitement is around the organization…none of it matters. We just gotta keep our heads down and find ways to get better. When we get to the season, we gotta find a way to put wins in the win column." 

Saleh may need to add at least one postseason victory to his win column to stay employed by the Jets through 2025.