Jets' Woody Johnson Says HC Robert Saleh Will 'Concentrate' on Offense in 2024

New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh's background is as a defensive expert, but team owner Woody Johnson said he's going to focus on the offense in 2024.

Speaking to ESPN's Jeff Darlington at the NFL Honors Red Carpet (starts at 1:15 mark), Johnson revealed Saleh is going to "concentrate" on the offense with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich handling things on that side of the ball.

"The discussions I've had in the last couple of months, they've seen me about as mad as I can be with what was going on, with the offense particularly," Johnson added, according to ESPN. "We have all this talent, and we have to deploy talent properly. So I think they all got the message. This is it. This is the time to go. We've got to produce this year."

These are certainly interesting comments from Johnson because of what it could mean for multiple people on the Jets' coaching staff.

Saleh's only professional experience coaching on the offensive side of the ball was at Michigan State when he was an assistant and tight ends coach. He did that for one year in 2002 before becoming a defensive assistant and defensive line coach for the Spartans in 2003.

In a detailed report about all of the problems with the Jets during the 2023 season, The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt and Dianna Russini noted Saleh "as usual, was hands-off" with the offense.

There's also the question of what this means for Nathaniel Hackett, who Rosenblatt and Russini wrote was originally hired by Johnson "to woo" Aaron Rodgers to New York.

The move paid off when the Jets acquired Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers, but that was about the only thing that went well for them in 2023.

Per Rosenblatt and Russini, Hackett was described by multiple Jets players and coaches as "lacking in attention to detail" and someone who struggled to make in-game adjustments.

The report also noted Saleh "explored adding to the offensive staff and creating a more collaborative play-calling process" that would reduce Hackett's role.

Rodgers is going to be New York's starting quarterback next season as long as he's recovered from the torn Achilles that ended his 2023 campaign after just four snaps.

A healthy Rodgers should lead to improved play for the offense, but how much better is a key question. He's 40 years old and coming off a significant injury.

Everyone on the Jets coaching staff and in the front office is going to be under an intense microscope in 2024. Saleh is 18-33 in three seasons as head coach.

General manager Joe Douglas is going into his sixth season in that role. The Jets have yet to win more than seven games in any season since he was hired.