Jets Rumors: Hackett 'Didn't Want to Leave Ulbirch High and Dry' After Saleh Firing

New York Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett wanted to stay with the organization despite being stripped of his play-calling duties because of his relationship with interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich.

According to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, part of Hackett's motivation for remaining with the team was that he "didn't want to leave Ulbirch high and dry."

"A lot of coaches in Hackett's spot would have just said, 'Go ahead and fire me.' But Hackett didn't, and my sense is that who Ulbrich and Downing are is a major reason why, as is the makeup of the locker room that those guys are now leading," Breer wrote.

The Jets made a series of changes to their coaching staff after a Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings caused them to fall to 2-3 on the season. Head coach Robert Saleh was fired and replaced by Ulbrich, while Hackett was removed from his offensive play-calling role.

Hackett remains New York's offensive coordinator, but passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Todd Downing will now be calling the shots on the sideline.

Per Breer, Hackett and Downing have become "very close." Both coaches came up with ideas and concepts for the game plan each week and would go through them together before Hackett whittled down the list of plays to something more manageable for the players. The process is expected to remain mostly the same following the change, but Downing will now be paring down the ideas.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Saturday that New York's offense is looking to get off to a "faster start" under Downing, as the team has scored just 14 first-quarter points in five games this season.

Establishing the run game early could be the key to the Jets controlling the pace of games in the first quarter, as Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported on Sunday that Ulbrich is focused on the team's rushing attack. Aaron Rodgers is also "fully on board" with the plan.

The Jets will have a challenge in their first contest after the coaching changes, facing off against a Buffalo Bills squad on Monday night that ranks No. 11 among all teams in scoring defense.