Robert Saleh will have a second interview with the Jaguars

With Ben Johnson off the table for the Jaguars, their search will move on to others.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports, and PFT has confirmed, that former Jets coach Robert Saleh will have a second interview with the Jaguars on Friday.

Saleh’s first interview took place last week, in person. This is a sign that he is a serious candidate, because time is running out even harder in the game of musical chairs that begins when the coaching carousel reaches full speed.

He also interviewed with the Raiders and Cowboys. The fact that the Jaguars will take a closer look becomes a mistake message for other teams considering Saleh.

Many believe he will eventually return to being a defensive coordinator, likely with the 49ers. But other fired coaches immediately landed elsewhere. For example, Eric Mangini went from the Jets to the Browns without a year off. Rex Ryan got the job in Buffalo after being fired by the Jets. Chip Kelly went straight from the Eagles to the 49ers. Adam Gase was hired by the Jets after being fired by the Dolphins. Fired by the Panthers, Ron Rivera was hired by Washington. Frank Reich went from the Colts to the Panthers. Andy Reid landed, to say the least, with the Chiefs after being fired in Philadelphia.

And John Fox did it twice. He was fired by the Panthers and hired by the Broncos, before being fired by the Broncos and hired by the Bears.

For teams that view the Jets as a dysfunctional mess, with mismanagement coming from the top of the organization, the fact that owner Woody Johnson abruptly fired Saleh so early in the 2024 season might not be a disqualifying factor. This could be a sign that Saleh wasn’t the problem with the Jets — and that he could be the solution another down-on-its-luck team is looking for.