It’s safe to say Bill Belichick isn’t interested in the New York Jet’s head coach job after he laid into owner Woody Johnson Monday night.
The former New England Patriots head coach joined Peyton and Eli Manning on their ESPN simulcast for Monday Night Football as the Jets lost to the Buffalo Bills in their first game without axed head coach Robert Saleh.
The Jets announced last Tuesday that Saleh had been fired as head coach just five games into his fourth season at the helm.
Belichick, who previously worked for the franchise, famously as head coach for one day before resigning, ripped into Johnson over the decision during his guest appearance on ManningCast this week.
‘It seemed quite early to me to be making a coaching change,’ Peyton said.
Bill Belichick (L) laid into New York Jets owner Woody Johnson (R) on ManningCast Monday
Read More
NFL referees slammed for making Jets-Bills game ‘unwatchable’
‘Yeah, well look, that’s kind of what it’s been there at the Jets,’ Belichick responded. ‘They’ve barely won over 30 percent in the last 10 years. The owner being the owner, just ready, fire, aim.’
Johnson had explained that he felt a coaching change was necessary to best reap the potential of his players and end the franchise’s playoff drought.
The Jets have failed to make it to the postseason since 2011, when they lost AFC Championship game, something which Johnson had been hoping to rectify when he appointed Saleh in 2021.
However, Saleh, who became the NFL’s first ever Muslim-American head coach when he joined the Jets, departs with a dismal 20-36 record after failing to make the playoffs in each of his three full seasons.
Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich took up the head coaching duties for Monday’s matchup against the Bills and will lead the floundering franchise for the remainder of the season.
However, Belichick had no criticism of Saleh’s performance in the role, praising the former head coach.
‘I’m not a big Jets fan, in case you don’t know that … Coach Saleh did a good job with that program,’ Belichick said.
Robert Saleh was fired as head coach of the Jets last week – just four games into the season
Belichick previously worked for the Jets, famously as head coach for one day before resigning
‘He brought in a culture, a level of toughness and competitiveness … I thought he did a pretty good job with this team, and they’re probably not that far away from winning.’
Johnson purchased the Jets in 2000 – the same year Belichick took over in New England after a stint as the Jets’ defensive coordinator.
Belichick spent two decades leading the Patriots against the Jets in the AFC East, winning six Super Bowl titles with the help of Tom Brady.
Meanwhile, in that same time span the Jets have won the AFC East just once and made six playoff appearances over that same span.
