Why Jets interim HC Jeff Ulbrich will have 'honest chance' for lead job

Even before New York Jets owner Woody Johnson fired head coach Robert Saleh last week, reporters and analysts linked the Jets with big names such as former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick and former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel. 

For a mailbag published on Thursday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated shared why Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich "will get an honest chance" from this Sunday's game at the 4-2 Pittsburgh Steelers through the end of the ongoing season to receive the full-time job for at least the 2025 campaign.

"A deep playoff run would make it hard to go in another direction, particularly with a lot of players on the older side who might not be very interested in starting over," Breer explained. "Ulbrich’s also well-liked in the locker room and the organization as a whole."

The point about the Jets' older players not being "interested in starting over" sticks out considering quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who turns 41 years old this coming December, reportedly had nothing to do with Saleh's dismissal and insisted last week that outsiders are wrong about the amount of "power" he has within the organization. Before Rodgers was hobbled by injuries to both of his knees and a low-ankle sprain this month, he said he wanted to give the Jets "two great years" coming off the torn Achilles he suffered in September 2023. 

Regardless of Rodgers' wishes, The Athletic's Mike Jones noted on Thursday that the 2024 Jets "largely looked the same" in their loss to the Buffalo Bills on "Monday Night Football" as they did in their first five games under Saleh. That defeat dropped them to 2-4. Ulbrich will probably find himself looking for work come January if acquiring wide receiver Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders doesn't fix much of what has ailed New York's offense this fall.

Logic suggests Johnson could blow things up and part ways with general manager Joe Douglas should the Jets fail to make the playoffs for a 14th consecutive season. Truth be told, ending the longest active postseason drought in the four major North American sports leagues may not be enough for Ulbrich to stay with the Jets unless he adds a playoff win to his resume.