Show them the money!

He caught some people off guard with this comment, but it certainly makes perfect sense.

“The goal of this entire organization, is to make sure we do everything we can to connect to their well being, and to help them make plays on Sunday, so they get paid as much as possible,” said Jets coach Robert Saleh at his introductory presser.

Help the players “get paid as much as possible?”

We have never heard a coach around here say that before. In fact, I’ve never heard a coach anywhere say that. Some management figures, who have to sign the checks, might not dig that statement.

Mike Ditka once said about legendary Chicago Bears owner George Halas during a contract negotiation that “The Papa Bear” “throws nickels around like manhole covers.” The tight end was traded within days.

So you understand the point. It’s very unique in sports for a coach to say, I want the players to “get paid as much as possible.”

But Saleh’s position makes perfect sense from a coaching perspective, and will certainly engender great loyalty and respect from his players.

After Saleh’s introductory press conference, he had a “breakout session” with the team’s beat-writers, and was asked by New York Post columnist Mike Vaccaro to expound on his philosophy that he wants to get players “paid as much as possible.” The veteran scribe was really intrigued by a coach saying that, and wanted to hear more. Like me, and other writers, Vaccaro probably never heard that before from a coach.

“You just put yourself in the player’s shoes,” Saleh said. “They get drafted. They need a personal investment made into them so they can develop into being great football players, so they can get to their second contract and be rewarded for what they’ve gone through. So players should expect that from their coaches, and from the organization. They’re drafted, they’re developed, and that’s the reward.”

Saleh feels his philosophy is similar to other industries.

“It’s no different than business,” Saleh said. “You come in as an entry-level, you worked your tail off and you go through the process and you get promotions and pay raises and there’s an investment made in that person as they grow within an organization. Same thing happens in football with a player in that same mindset. They come in raw, you invest so much time into them. You invest so much effort into him on the practice field and rehab, and you’re doing everything you can to help them get better.”

The Jets coach, who was a long-time NFL assistant before landing the gig with Gang Green, has loved seeing his players over the years strike gold with that second contract.

“It is an absolute joy to see them hit the pinnacle of their career, where they get to those second contracts and they get rewarded for it,” Saleh said. “To understand that part of just the players, is just being human to me. And so, to make sure that they understand that that’s our goal as coaches is to help them get to where they want to go. Just the overall servant leadership mindset. That should be the goal for everyone in this organization moving forward.”

A very unique mantra, and one that should benefit the Jets on the field, with players knowing the coach has their back, to a degree some have never experienced before.

February 2, 2021

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