Robert Saleh reveals blunt advice he got about possibly missing game
New York Jets coach Robert Saleh risks missing Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars due to COVID protocols. He’s preparing for that possibility by gathering information on what it might be like to watch as a spectator.
Saleh needs two negative tests to be cleared to coach as normal. The Jets are proceeding as if that will not happen, and so is Saleh. The Jets coach said Friday he had reached out to Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, who has missed two games for the same reason. The advice Saleh received was nothing if not honest.
#Jets HC Robert Saleh said he had a ‘good talk’ w/ #Browns HC Kevin Stefanski about his current predicament w/ #COVID & not coaching right now, ‘you’re just going to miss practice but Sunday will be miserable. So I’m looking [forward] to misery’: 🤣 #JAXvsNYJ #TakeFlight #duuuval pic.twitter.com/jfhqo4s5dt
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) December 24, 2021
Stefanski missed last week’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders after a positive test. That likely paled in comparison to the fact that he had to miss a playoff game last year for the same reason. It’s made him the go-to for coaches in the same spot, though he probably doesn’t relish that distinction.
Saleh might learn the same thing Stefanski did if he has to watch the Jets in isolation. Maybe that’s a valuable lesson in the end.
Photo: Feb 2, 2020; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh during Super Bowl LIV against the Kansas City Chiefs at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports