The most recent COVID-19 wave crashed on the Jets in a big way on Wednesday when head coach Robert Saleh tested positive.
Saleh felt symptoms on Wednesday morning and underwent a test, which showed he had the virus. If he is not cleared by Sunday, tight ends coach Ron Middleton will handle the head-coaching duties against the Jaguars.
Middleton, an assistant coach with 12 years of NFL experience, oversaw the team’s practice Wednesday. Middleton said he found out that Saleh had tested positive around 11:15 a.m. and had 45 minutes to prepare for the team’s practice.
“The good thing about that is that there is a good plan in place,” Middleton said. “Robert has done a great job of hiring a staff, of course I’m a little biased about that, but he has a great plan and he’s very clear with his plan. So, that part, I’m not reinventing the wheel here, I’m just trying to steer the ship, keep the ship steered in the right direction. So far, no issues. Hopefully it stays like that.”
Saleh’s positive test was part of a rash of COVID cases for the Jets. They also had three players — safety Ashtyn Davis, defensive lineman Jonathan Marshall and tight end Kenny Yeboah — test positive on Wednesday. They now have 17 players between the active roster and practice squad on the reserve/COVID list. The NFL moved three games last weekend because of the high number of COVID cases on the Browns, Rams and Washington Football Team. If the Jets continue having positive tests, Sunday’s game with the Jaguars could be in jeopardy. But that decision is still days away.
“It’s crazy,” tackle George Fant said. “You see other teams get hit with it. I guess it’s our turn. I feel bad for those guys who got it and wish them the best. I think now is an opportunity for some of those other guys to get out there and prove who they are and the kind of player they are. It’s just another hurdle for us to get over.”
The NFL changed its COVID protocols this week in a way that will allow players and coaches to return quicker from the list. Since Saleh is vaccinated (a requirement of coaches), if he is asymptomatic and can pass a combination of tests, Saleh could return as soon as Thursday.
If Saleh can’t get back for Sunday, Middleton will be the man in charge. The former NFL tight end would be facing his former team. He spent the past eight years coaching the Jaguars. Jacksonville is where he met Saleh, who coached there from 2014-16.
Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley described Middleton as poised and said he had a good message when he gathered the team before practice. Middleton told the team that it may be without Saleh on Sunday but had to remain focused.
“He said, ‘We’re all professionals. We have a job to do,’ ” Mosley said. “He said, ‘Our routing number doesn’t change. We still want to get paid. Let’s get to work.’ I thought that was a good message. He let you know that your leader is down and might be back but you still keep the main thing the main thing. That’s guys coming to work, putting in the work and doing the right things and trying to get this victory at the end of the week.”
The Jets have been conducting meetings virtually since last week and Middleton said the plan was for Saleh to still run all team meetings. Middleton said Saleh was not feeling well last week and told Middleton that he would be the interim head coach if Saleh tested positive.
“Everything’s been positive,” Middleton said of his first day in the big chair. “Basically, I told them that we’re all professionals, nobody knows what’s going to happen, but what we do know is that we have a game on Sunday, at this point, maybe that changes tonight, tomorrow, day after, who knows? But right now, we’re getting ready to practice and we’re all professionals, and last I saw, they didn’t change any of those routing numbers, OK? So, let’s go out here and let’s practice and let’s get better and let’s start preparing to get ready to beat the Jaguars on Sunday.”