A Muslim civil rights organization raised concerns Tuesday about how Robert Saleh was fired and urged New York Jets leaders to explain why he was apparently treated differently than other coaches who have been let go.
Saleh was reportedly escorted from the building by security after his firing. That’s not an unprecedented move, but it’s unusual, according to NBC Sports.
“Although no one should jump to conclusions about why the Jets fired Coach Saleh, the report that Jets security physically escorted Saleh out of the building does raise concerns about the possible motive for such unusual hostility — especially given that Saleh wore a Lebanese flag pin at a game just days ago and that owner Woody Johnson is a former Trump administration official who has been accused of making racially charged remarks. We encourage the Jets to thoroughly explain its unusually hostile reported treatment of Coach Saleh,” reads the statement from CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
In general, Saleh’s firing on Tuesday shocked the NFL world.
The Jets may be underperforming this season, but the offense is a bigger problem than the defense, which is Saleh’s specialty.
But most of those criticizing the Jets’ decision blame it on the coach’s at-times tense relationship with star quarterback Aaron Rodgers or the team’s desire to succeed in the short-term rather than on Saleh’s Lebanese heritage or Muslim faith.
In a statement, Jets owner Woody Johnson said Saleh’s firing stemmed from his failure to get the team to where it needs to be.
“This was not an easy decision, but we are not where we should be given our expectations, and I believe now is the best time for us to move in a different direction,” he said.
Robert Saleh’s religion
Saleh had been with the Jets since 2021, when the organization hired him away from the San Francisco 49ers.
When he took the helm in New York, Saleh became the first Muslim head coach in the NFL.
He spoke at the time about what it meant to him to hold that title.
“It’s very humbling,” he told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Saleh continued, “When you look at where I grew up, in Detroit, Michigan, (in) Dearborn, Michigan, the largest concentration of Middle Easterns in the world outside the Middle East, there’s a ... perception that we’re gas station and party store owners.”
He said he was honored to help other young Muslim men envision new professional paths to take.
CAIR’s statement on Saleh’s firing praised the coach for earning a place in the history books.
“We commend Coach Robert Saleh for making history as the first American Muslim head coach in NFL history,” it said.
Robert Saleh’s Lebanese flag
Over the past 3.5 years, Saleh has spent much more time talking about football than about being Muslim or Middle Eastern.
But he hasn’t shied away from those latter topics, and, as the CAIR statement noted, Saleh incorporated a Lebanese flag into his game-day outfit as recently as Sunday, when the Jets played the Minnesota Vikings in London.
After Saleh was fired, some questioned whether political tensions related to Lebanon played a role in the Jets’ decision. The country is currently embroiled in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
But others have pointed out that Saleh has worn a Lebanese flag patch many times without incident. The NFL encourages players and coaches to celebrate their heritage.
“Saleh wore the patch last year because the NFL encourages patches and decals embracing heritage, same as Nick Sirianni wearing an Italian flag patch. In fact last year *330* coaches and players did it. We gotta get better conspiracy theories on here,” wrote NFL reporter Kevin Clark on X.
In a statement released Wednesday, Saleh thanked Jets fans and the Jets organization for their support during his time in New York. He did not comment on how or why he was fired.
“To the most passionate fan base in the NFL, thank you for embracing my family. It has been a pleasure calling New York our home and we will forever appreciate all of the memories that were created here,” Saleh said.