Robert Saleh Defines Role for New York Jets Embattled Offensive Coordinator

New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh addressed the team's power structure on offense.

East Rutherford, NJ -- Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett with Aaron Rodgers and Randall Cobb before the game. The Atlanta Falcons and the NY Jets play at MetLife Stadium on December 3, 2023 in East Rutherford, NJ. / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

The offseason rumors suggested the New York Jets were looking to reduce offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett's role.

Aimed at adding an offensive "adviser" of sorts, the Jets apparently made contact with former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith prior to him taking a job with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Despite the reported rumors, the Jets made no changes and head coach Robert Saleh has since confirmed Hackett's standing as New York's boss on offense.

"It's the same. He's still our play caller. He still runs the offense. He's still in full, total control," said Saleh on Tuesday in Florham Park.

Hackett came under fire in 2023 when the offense floundered in the wake of the Aaron Rodgers Achilles injury. In his first year calling plays for the Jets, Hackett presided over a unit that finished next-to-last in total offense. New York scored only 18 offensive touchdowns during the 17-game regular season.

"We all learned so much from last year, and because of it, I think we're more prepared this year than we were a year ago to hit the curveball, if you will," said Saleh, who has become more involved in the offense's operations this preseason.

The 2023 performance was a stark contrast to what the Green Bay Packers' offense looked like from 2019-21 when Hackett and Rodgers last worked together. Over that three-year span, Rodgers threw 111 touchdown passes to 13 interceptions while twice winning NFL MVP honors.

"We speak the same language, west coast language," said Rodgers about his strong bond with the highly-scrutinized offensive coordinator. "Over the years, we kind of grew up in the system together, but it is the conversations you guys don't see. It is in the meeting room after the meetings have broken and we are talking about different things and ideas and text messages at night."

The 40-year-old Rodgers has publicly defended Hackett throughout what has been a tumultuous Jets' tenure.

"I felt very protective of him. Thankful, a lot of that's in the rearview mirror for both of us," said Rodgers earlier this week. "It's been a tough couple years, with some of the stuff that coach [Sean Payton] said about him, and then obviously the scrutiny with our offense struggling. I feel like he took a lot of it on the chin and wore it well, but we'd like to show some things this year."

With Rodgers having returned to full health, and Hackett still at the controls, the Jets are hoping to see "some things" straight out of 2021.