Robert Saleh will face his former team for the first time as a head coach when his Titans host the Jets on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on CBS in Nashville. Saleh, who was fired by the Jets in 2024 after the team started 2-3, was hired by the Titans in January.
Saleh said he isn't harboring any hard feelings toward the Jets. "New York is still a special place," Saleh said. "They gave me my first opportunity as a head coach. Our desire to win Week 1, to beat the Jets, is because it's Week 1 and nothing more. I'm forever grateful for the opportunity they gave me. I don't hold grudges."
Saleh's staff includes former Jets assistants cornerbacks coach Tony Oden, safeties coach Marquand Manuel and defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton. Several Titans players also previously played for the Jets, including defensive linemen Jermaine Johnson II, Jacob Martin, Solomon Thomas and John Franklin-Myers, along with safety Tony Adams, plus practice squad players Michael Carter and Jalyn Holmes.
Adams, who signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2022, said he won't let the matchup cloud his judgment.
The Jets still have 14 holdovers from Saleh's era, including Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall, while only four players remain from the defense Saleh built, most notably Jamien Sherwood and Will McDonald IV. Saleh met with Jets officials at a cocktail reception during the NFL's spring meetings in Phoenix, exchanging hugs and pleasantries, though owner Woody Johnson was not present.
