The Jets introduced Rex Ryan as their head coach 12 years ago, on Jan. 21, 2009. It was the day after a presidential inauguration. He faced questions about whether he would move on from his quarterback.
Twelve years later, the Jets will introduce Robert Saleh as their head coach on Thursday at 2 p.m. It is the day after another inauguration, and Saleh will field questions about his plan at quarterback.
Ryan won the press conference that day. He said the Jets would be meeting newly elected President Obama soon, and Ryan breathed life into an organization and a fan base that was turned off by his predecessor, Eric Mangini.
Saleh has a chance to do the same thing Thursday. Jets fans and the organization are hungry for change after two years of losing under Adam Gase, who famously lost his introductory press conference. Saleh has a chance to energize the Jets’ universe Thursday.
Like everything else in these times, it will be different. Saleh will not be speaking to a room full of reporters. Instead, he’ll be speaking over a Zoom call, looking at a computer screen. Still, this is an important day for Saleh and the Jets. Here are the questions we’d like answers to:
Questions for Saleh
What is your evaluation of Sam Darnold?
The quarterback question will dominate the offseason. It is believed Saleh is a fan of Darnold, but the team must decide whether it would be smarter to move on. Expect Saleh to speak highly of Darnold, but make no promises.
Will you call the defense?
How far away are the Jets from being a contender?
Fans are out of patience. It has been 10 years without the playoffs and five straight losing seasons. Saleh must deliver his plan and vision for how he will get the franchise out of this funk and how quickly he can do it.
The Jets set out to find a CEO coach who would oversee the whole team. They felt Gase was too invested in his offense and ignored the defense. Can Saleh be that CEO coach and still make the defensive calls, or will he give up play-calling to an assistant coach? It is a balancing act for a coordinator promoted to head coach. The reason Saleh became a head-coaching candidate was his defensive prowess. But a head coach must oversee everything.
Questions for CEO/Chairman Christopher Johnson
Will the organizational structure change?
The Jets have had their head coach and general manager both reporting to the owner since 2015, rather than having the head coach under the GM. It seems to drive fans crazy for some reason. Johnson said they would consider changing it. Now, we’ll find out if they will.
Why will this time be different?
This is will be the seventh head coach the Johnsons have hired since buying the team 21 years ago. Some, like Ryan and Herm Edwards, have had modest success. Others, like Gase and Todd Bowles, have been failures. Why should fans believe they got it right this time? What makes Saleh different than their previous hires?
When is Woody Johnson returning to the team?
Woody Johnson has spent the past few days saying goodbye to the United Kingdom on Twitter. His term as U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom ended Wednesday, when the new administration was sworn in. But no one around the Jets has said how quickly he will return to running the team. Will we get that answer on Thursday?
Questions for GM Joe Douglas
What is your plan at quarterback?
It is the biggest question Douglas faces, but don’t expect a straight answer. He can’t talk about Deshaun Watson, who is under contract with the Texans. He is not going to talk about draft picks. Expect him to heap some praise on Darnold and dance around anything definitive.
How much say will Saleh have in personnel?
When the coaching search began, Douglas said he wanted a partner. That means Saleh should have some say in who is on the team. This will be a collaborative effort, with Douglas maintaining the final say on the 53-man roster.
How aggressive will you be in free agency?
The Jets are projected to have more than $70 million in salary-cap space. The team has holes all over the roster. Douglas was conservative last year in free agency. Will he be more of a free spender this year? Saleh desperately needs an upgrade in talent if he is going to be more successful than Gase was.
