On the hit HBO Max docu-series, Hard Knocks, New York Jets coach, Robert Saleh voiced his displeasure about the team’s offensive line.
In a clip that has now gone viral, coach Saleh laid into the team after watching a recording of a joint practice in Spartansburg, SC with the Carolina Panthers. Saleh started by praising the defense for their game play, which has been a highlight since last year, where they were the 4th best defense in the league by the end of the regular season.
After those brief congratulatory remarks, Saleh switched gears and offered a stern rebuke of the offensive line:
“Offense, it was our first f—ing opportunity to change the stink that’s been in this organization for a very long time on the offensive side of the ball,”
“You can have a Hall of Fame quarterback, you can have two $10 million dollar plus receivers, you can have a reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, you can have all kinds of skill in the running back room. None of it f****** matters until the big boys up front change who the f*** we are.”
“We as coaches, we as an organization can’t want it more than you. And I’m watching that tape, all night last night, trying to find something to show that we’re f****** changing, and it didn’t show. And it was our first opp[ortunity].”
To be fair to coach Saleh, the Jets offensive line gave him plenty to grimace over last season. The offensive line consistently listed at the bottom half of most ranking systems. The quarterback room was also a decided disaster, with Zach Wilson seemingly blasé facing the media after numerous poor performances; and Mike White never quite putting up a performance that would justify ousting Zach Wilson completely. Jets hope to change that in the next season with star quarterback Aaron Rodgers at the helm.
Robert Saleh, New York Jets, Getty Images
