New Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh had a simple message when told he would face off against his old team, the New York Jets, in 2026.
“I can’t wait,” Saleh told Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic.
The 2026 NFL schedule won’t come out until the middle of May. However, we already know which opponents every team will play and where they will play them.
Gang Green finished in last place in the AFC East in 2025, which means they’re set to face “the fourth-place finishers in the AFC South, NFC West and AFC North — the Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns,” Jets editorial contributor Susanna Weir wrote in a press release.
The only thing we know is that the Jets will travel to Tennessee to play the Titans. It’s unclear exactly when this game will be. However, the NFL schedule makers couldn’t resist putting the Aaron Rodgers revenge game in the season opener last year, with the Jets hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Perhaps they will utilize that same strategy this time around.
Saleh Looks Back at His Time in New York Fondly
In 2021, the Jets hired then San Francisco 49ers defensive cooridator Robert Saleh with the hopes he could turn around this franchise. At the beginning of his fourth season, they unceremoniously fired him after an international loss in Week 5.
Saleh finished with a 20-36 record and never won more than seven games in a single season.
“I am so lucky, and I mean this,” Saleh told Rosenblatt. “There are only 32 of these jobs in the entire world, and to do it in New York on the biggest stage with one of the most passionate fan bases in the entire league — I am as lucky as lucky gets. … I still talk to (some Jets staffers). The people at 1 Jets Drive — the people — are such great people. And so I’m incredibly grateful for that experience.”
Jets Fans Weren’t Pleased With a Few of Saleh’s Comments
Saleh was officially introduced as the next HC of the Titans this week. Naturally, he was asked a few questions about his previous experience as a head coach with the Jets.
“I didn’t call plays in New York, and I just kind of gave it all to the coordinators. Even though we were still a part of the gameplanning and all that, I joke with Borgo [Tennessee general manager Mike Borgonzi], on gameday, when I didn’t call plays, I felt like I was the timeout and red flag guy. I had the greatest seat in the house as a fan,” Saleh told the local media.
“Calling plays for me, it’s not necessarily about control, but it’s about connecting with the players,” Saleh added.
As several social media personalities pointed out, if Saleh wanted to call the plays with the Jets, he was the head coach; he could have made that happen.
“Brother, you could’ve changed that 😭,” Jets content creator Matt O’Leary posted.
“Yeah, we know. This is how most of the fanbase felt when you were coaching the jets man,” Jets analyst Stephen Zantz wrote.
“Is it me or does this make Saleh look really bad?,” SNY host Eamon McAnaney responded.
“Here is a key problem, just because you aren’t calling plays doesn’t mean you are the ‘red flag and timeout’ guy Robert. Hopefully, he realizes how poor he was at the actual job of HC. Good dude, was a bad HC,” analyst Paul Fiore said.
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