NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — New Titans coach Robert Saleh insists he holds no grudge against the New York Jets for firing him from his first NFL head coaching gig and that he's only focused on opening the season with T ennessee against his old team Sunday.
“Our desire to win Week 1, beat the Jets, is because it’s Week 1 and nothing more,” Saleh said. “I’m forever grateful for the opportunity they gave.”
Forgive anyone who doesn't buy that it's just business
in the NFL.
The Jets hired Saleh in 2021, then fired him five games into the 2024 season. Saleh was 20-36 as coach of the Jets whose playoff drought now has reached 15 straight seasons, the longest in major North American sports.
Now Saleh has his second chance as an NFL head coach with the Titans, who are trying to snap a skid of four consecutive losing seasons and went 6-28 combined the past two. He has plenty of former Jets with him now in Tennessee.
Saleh reunited with Aaron Whitecotton as his defensive line coach, and the Titans currently have seven players Saleh coached with the Jets either on the roster or practice squad. That group includes defensive end Jermaine Johnson II, defensive linemen John Franklin-Myers and Solomon Thomas and safety Tony Adams.
Thomas spent three seasons with the Jets between 2022 and 2024 and couldn’t be happier to see this opponent for the opener with his new team. He agrees with Saleh that there’s no grudges held against the Jets or that he and fellow teammates want to get a win against their old team for payback.
The veteran lineman going into his 10th season said he’s focused on showing what they’re doing now with the Titans.
“We went through a lot of adversity at the Jets, and we’re bringing all the things we learned from that adversity here and spreading it in the culture of this locker room, spreading in the culture of the coaches,” Thomas said. “And I think it’s a lot of knowledge that we’re passing on from then.”
Defensive end Jacob Martin is among Tennessee's free agent additions who played for Saleh with the Jets. Martin was only there for eight games in 2022 before being traded by the Jets, and Martin said that every game in the NFL is personal — at least to him.
“I know a lot of guys in this locker room that were with the Jets organization," Martin said. “They’re extra excited to play in this one and myself included. I would say that's your old boss."
Asked what went wrong with the Jets, Martin said that's a question people have been asking for a while.
“I’m not really sure what the answer to that is, truthfully,” Martin said. "It just didn’t work out there. I don’t know why.”
The Jets traded Johnson to the Titans in February, giving up on a one-time Pro Bowler and their 26th pick overall in the 2022 draft. Johnson, who tore an Achilles tendon in 2024, has made clear he's targeting at least 10 sacks this season being reunited with Saleh.
Johnson said he's looking forward to seeing former teammates Sunday, talking and swapping jerseys after the game.
“First impressions are everything, believe it or not," Johnson said. "So this is the first time we get to introduce the world, the NFL, the 31 other teams into who we are as a team and who we as a defense and who I am as an individual. So just super excited ... to start that.”
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