Radio host says Robert Saleh, who wore a Lebanese flag on a sweatshirt at a game in London, played a role in the jets' firing

The New York Jets shocked many by firing Robert Saleh as head coach after two straight losses, leaving them 2-3 on the year.

While owner Woody Johnson said he consulted general manager Joe Douglas, he ultimately said he made the decision himself.

What drove Johnson's decision to relieve Saleh of his duties was not revealed, other than to say it was the right time to do so. However, a longtime radio host pointed out that Saleh's wardrobe choice was a factor during the team's London game against the Minnesota Vikings.

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New York Jets coach Robert Saleh reacts during the first half against the Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

Joe Benigno, a die-hard Jets fan and former radio host at WFAN, said he believes Saleh, who was wearing a black Jets sweatshirt with the Lebanese flag on the sleeve, had something to do with his firing.

“I have one more thing to say, and I hate to get political, but in this case I have to,” Benigno said Tuesday on “The Jake Asman Show.”

ISLAMIC GROUP CALLS ON JETS TO DEFUSE ROBERT SALEH AFTER HE WEARS LEBANON PIN IN ISRAEL WAR

“Saleh recently had the Lebanon flag on his shirt in London. Now we all know what is going on in the Middle East. There is no sugarcoating what is happening in the Middle East. We all know that Hezbollah fired all those weapons rockets from Lebanon and everything that's going on there into Israel.

“We know he is Muslim. I think he represents the Lebanese people because I don't think the Lebanese people are really happy with Hezbollah. I don't think that's the case at all. And I wonder if that's the case.” In a way that played a role, because I saw on the regular news that it actually came up.

New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh watches from the sidelines during the first half against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. (Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports)

On social media, some expressed their displeasure with Saleh, who is of Lebanese descent, wearing the flag on his sleeve due to the current situation in the country.

Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed military group in Lebanon, has a violent history with Israel that only escalated during the war between Israel and Hamas. The flag was seen on the day Israel bombed Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, a day before the one-year anniversary of Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7.

However, Saleh did wear the Lebanese flag patch last year as part of the NFL Heritage Program, which encourages players and coaches to honor their cultural background with patches and helmet decals on game day. Saleh also wore the patch earlier this season.

Saleh, who became the NFL's first Muslim head coach when the Jets hired him in January 2021, is the son of Lebanese parents who immigrated to the United States before his birth.

New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh speaks to reporters after an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

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In his three and a half seasons leading the Jets, Saleh maintained a record of 20-36. He never had a season above .500, going 4-13 as a freshman followed by consecutive 7-10 seasons.

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