News and Views
The Facts: The Jets won’t be making any major organizational changes come the end of the season. Jets owner Woody Johnson confirmed that head coach Robert Saleh and General Manager Joe Douglas will return despite the team missing the playoffs for the 13th consecutive season. “My decision is to keep them,” Johnson told Brian Costello of the New York Post. “I think we’ve had some very positive moves."
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The Jets have gone 16-32 since Saleh was hired ahead of the 2021 season and they are 25-55 since Douglas was hired in 2019. The Jets made a big move to get quarterback Aaron Rodgers before the season, but Rodgers tore his Achilles on the fourth offensive play of Week 1 and the Jets have spiraled to a 5-9 record without him. Rodgers gave strong support to Saleh and Douglas earlier this week and Johnson cited the quarterback as part of the reason for the status quo. Johnson did not comment on the futures of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett or the team’s other assistant coaches, so that will be one of many things left for Saleh and Douglas to cover when they address their plans for the 2024 season.
The Facts: Despite being ruled out for his second straight game due to a concussion, Stroud has begun to make some progress, and there is optimism he could be ready to play next week at home against the Tennessee Titans, a league source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
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Stroud suffered a concussion in the team's 30-6 Week 14 loss to the New York Jets and remained in the protocol after missing Week 15 against the Titans. When asked earlier this week whether Stroud's injury could end his season, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said, "No." Case Keenum started in place of Stroud during the Texans' 19-16 overtime win last week against the Titans and will again today against the Browns.
The Facts: HC Mike Tomlin is not ready to say who his starting quarterback will be next week against the Seahawks. After Mason Rudolph led the Steelers to a win over the Bengals on Saturday, Tomlin got this question from a reporter: “I guess this is early to ask, but will you be sticking with Mason in Seattle?” Tomlin answered: “You’re right, it is early to ask.”
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Tomlin did speak highly of the way Rudolph played. “He’s got a belief in himself, he was aggressive in his play style, I thought he did a really good job not displaying rust for a guy who hasn’t played a lot,” Tomlin said of Rudolph. He completed 17 of 27 passes for 290 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions, and the Steelers’ offense had its best game of the year in a 34-11 win. Even if starting quarterback Kenny Pickett is cleared to return from his ankle injury, Tomlin may decide that Rudolph gives his team the best chance to win.