Titans Coach Robert Saleh Says He Holds No Grudges Before Sept. 13 Jets Opener

Q: Is Robert Saleh’s calm message before facing the Jets genuine closure, or the start of a high-stakes redemption story?

It looks more like genuine closure, with the clear possibility that it could become a redemption story if Tennessee wins and Saleh’s rebuild takes hold. His public comments are notably restrained. Saleh has called the Jets “a special place,” said he is “forever grateful” for his first head-coaching chance, and stressed that beating New York matters only because it is Week 1. That fits the broader picture of a coach trying to show growth after a difficult 20-36 run in New York, where the Jets never reached the playoffs and were undone by persistent offensive failures. At the same time, the matchup naturally carries redemption stakes whether Saleh welcomes that framing or not. He was fired during the 2024 season, and this is his first game against the franchise since. Tennessee also hired him to lead a reset after back-to-back 3-14 seasons, so a Week 1 win over his former team would immediately validate the idea that he has learned from his first head-coaching stint. There is evidence Saleh is approaching the job differently. He has said he has improved as a communicator, and players familiar with him, such as Solomon Thomas, describe him as more confident and precise than during his first tenure as a head coach. The Titans have also reshaped the roster and staff around him, especially on offense and along the defensive front. So the tone is closure. The stakes are redemption. If Tennessee starts well, the story will quickly become both.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Sep 3

Sept. 13 will be Robert Saleh’s first game against the Jets since they fired him during the 2024 season, but the new Titans coach said the matchup carries no personal resentment.
Saleh called New York “a special place” and said the franchise gave him his first head-coaching opportunity, adding that Tennessee’s push to beat the Jets is about winning Week 1, not revenge.
The opener puts immediate focus on Saleh’s split from the Jets after parts of four seasons, turning a routine Week 1 game into an early storyline for both teams.