Jets Fan Fireman Ed Says Team Is 'Phasing' Him Out on Video Boards at MetLife Stadium

Famed New York Jets fan Fireman Ed claimed this week that the Jets have been suppressing his presence at games this season.

In an Instagram video posted Wednesday, Ed Anzalone said he had received several messages about being featured less than usual on the big screens at MetLife Stadium, prompting him to say, "Something's going on in the Jets' production team."

The 65-year-old Anzalone has been a fixture at Jets games since the 1980s, typically wearing a white firefighter helmet and leading the iconic "J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets," chant.

As part of his Instagram post, Fireman Ed said that during the Jets' past two home games against the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills, he and a couple of other well-known fans were not shown on the screen to lead chants after touchdowns nor to pump up the crowd while the Jets were on defense as they usually are.

Fireman Ed expressed confusion regarding the change, saying: "I don't know exactly what's going on, but they're phasing us out."

The Jets lost each of the two games in question, falling 10-9 to Denver and 23-20 to Buffalo. They have also lost three games in a row overall, dropping their record to 2-4.

New York fired head coach Robert Saleh following a loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London in Week 5, replacing him with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich on an interim basis.

Ulbrich immediately elevated Todd Downing to the position of offensive coordinator and demoted Nathaniel Hackett. The offense, led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers, looked better than it had the previous couple of weeks, but the Jets still fell short in a key divisional matchup against Buffalo.

The Jets made a huge move one day after the loss to Buffalo, acquiring superstar wide receiver Davante Adams in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders.

New York has the longest active playoff drought in the NFL, having not reached the postseason since 2010, and the organization is clearly all in on bringing it to an end.

While that is likely the Jets' primary focus, Fireman Ed's involvement with the in-game presentation could be an interesting side storyline worth following.

New York is on the road for the next two weeks before returning home to host the Houston Texans on Halloween night.