Dianna Russini was on live with The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz when major NFL breaking news hit: Robert Saleh is OUT in New York.
We all got to see live as Dianna’s morning was ruined and she had to react in live time to get on the phone and chase down the inside scoop on what was happening in New York. Dan doesn’t feel good watching Dianna’s live stress/anxiety, although she says this move doesn’t come as an extreme shock. The only surprising part for Dianna is that the Jets have made this move now after deciding in the offseason to run things back with Saleh. Dianna points out that the decision was made, with Woody Johnson himself involved, despite the reporting out there that suggested that there were issues inside the building. She points out that even with Aaron Rodgers hurt and out of the lineup last year, some really bad coaching decisions were being made and it bled into this year. She’s surprised that the Jets didn’t take the opportunity to make the move in the offseason when they had the chance.
Dianna says losing in London is no good — long flight, embarrassment for losing on international TV, everything. The Jets, she said, have been focused on trying to get Davante Adams in the building, with Saleh trying to do whatever he thinks will be best for Rodgers, especially considering Rodgers has all the power within that organization.
As Dianna steps away to do what she needs to do, Dan wonders if the Jets made this move knowing what they want to do next, especially with Bill Belichick completely available at the moment. Dan says Saleh got fired because Rodgers was terrible on Sunday and after giving Rodgers all the power in the organization, Aaron hasn’t been able to lift the Jets to victories in games they were very much in. The Jets could have won each of their last two games and needed Rodgers to deliver and Dan says he couldn’t do it.
Noted Jets fan Stugotz points out the interesting wrinkle that not only did the Jets lose to the Vikings in London, they lost to their former first-round draft pick Sam Darnold, who is having a career resurgence in Minnesota. But in this game Darnold didn’t even play that well and the Jets still couldn’t pull out the win. Stugotz says Rodgers HAS to finish that one off. He says the Jets are all in on Rodgers at this point, so if Rodgers doesn’t want Saleh there why wouldn’t you make a move, especially if Belichick or Mike Vrabel are just sitting out there waiting for the phone to ring. Stu likes the move and he thinks the Jets had to do it because Aaron Rodgers wanted them to do it.
David Samson thinks this was a case where Rodgers was advocating this move to ownership as this is not Woody Johnson’s M.O. David thinks this is case of Rodgers trying to cover up his own inadequacies because he is not playing well enough. And Greg Cote cuts right to the quick: Is it fair to say that the Aaron Rodgers experiment in New York is failing? At some point, when does a Jets fan say the Aaron Rodgers thing isn’t working?
Dan points out that Rodgers has put up as many points this year as Zach Wilson did at this point last year and Wilson was run out of town. Dan says watching Rodgers on Sunday was reminiscent of watching late-stage Brett Favre getting battered around the pocket because he can’t move like he did in his youth. There has been much made of signs of a potential disconnect between Saleh and Rodgers. Dan says there has been a power struggle in New York and it is clear that the quarterback has just won it. The Jets have given over the organization to Rodgers and after little public sparks with Saleh and now comes the rare move for the Jets to show Saleh the door at this point in their season.
Make sure you tune into The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. ET on DraftKings Network!
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