The New Orleans Saints will have to hit the road to play the New York Jets in 2021, and there will be a new head coach patrolling the opposing sidelines: Robert Saleh, who isn’t too unfamiliar with New Orleans. ESPN reported that Saleh reached an agreement on a five-year deal with the Jets on Thursday evening following a busy round of interviews around the league.
Saleh previously worked as the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator since 2017, facing the Saints twice in that time. And his defense was put in a tough spot both times. They allowed 46 points in a last-minute win in 2019 before yielding a more-respectable 27 points in a 2020 loss. His next game with New Orleans will be his third meeting in as many years.
It’ll be interesting to see how his unit performs when the Saints visit next season. He has a solid foundation in players like defensive lineman Quinnen Williams and safety Marcus Maye, but the rebuild could take time. Maybe his past experience coaching against New Orleans can give him an edge.
One other point worth noting: Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn was a candidate for this job, though the Jets ultimately went another way. Glenn hasn’t shown much interest in other openings around the league, so it’s possible he returns to New Orleans in 2021.
