Jets Have Right Mentality Heading Into Week 1 Grudge Match vs. Robert Saleh's Titans

If you ask Jets fans, Week 1's clash with the Titans is a must-win situation.

Not because the Jets are going into a game where they can clinch anything specific. But because of who they are facing.

New York's showdown with the Tennessee Titans will be the first time Gang Green will see former head coach Robert Saleh since his firing early in the 2024 season. Saleh spent a year with the 49ers after his unceremonious exit and has since become the Titans' head coach.

For Jets fans, beating the former coach who went a dismal 20-36 in three-and-a-half years with them isn't just something that should happen: it must happen.

Robert Saleh at press conference. — A season-opening win over Robert Saleh's Titans would be extremely cathartic for Jets fans. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

After his own rough first year, current Jets head coach Aaron Glenn has drawn the ire of fans as well. Losing to his predecessor won't instill any confidence in the fanbase, even if he has plenty of faith in himself and his team.

Jets have confidence in revenge bout with Robert Saleh

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Saleh made it very clear: next week's opener was not a revenge game for him. It's just another contest.

"New York is still a special place," Saleh said (h/t SNY Jets). "Our desire to win Week 1 and beat the Jets is because it's Week 1 and nothing more. They've got a hell of an offense, a chance to be really, really good. Really under-the-radar team, I think."

Robert Saleh says he holds no grudges with the Jets

"New York is still a special place. Our desire to win Week 1 and beat the Jets is because it's Week 1 and nothing more. They've got a hell of an offense, a chance to be really, really good. Really under-the-radar team I think" pic.twitter.com/2FoLQwN9QU
— SNY Jets (@snyjets) September 2, 2026

What a person says publicly, though, can be different than what he believes privately. Saleh allegedly told a Jets fan that his team would "kick the Jets' ass" in Week 1 at the American Century Championship. Saleh later laughed off the report, saying that the goal for every team was to "kick their opponent's ass," so there wasn't any major bulletin board material.

To his credit, Glenn made it clear that the confidence in the Jets' 53-man roster was just as strong going into 2026. New York overhauled their coaching staff and roster to be better prepared to improve from their three wins in 2025.

Taking on Saleh in a revenge game did nothing to deter his confidence either.

"I think just by nature I'm a confident person," Glenn said. "We're going to continue to build on
that, and I know that just by the people that are in this building, we will continue to build on that. That brings another level of confidence from a coaching aspect, just more or less from an overall organizational aspect."

Aaron Glenn jokes with wide receiver Tim Patrick. — Jets head coach Aaron Glenn is confident that his team will only improve with time. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Probably the biggest difference between Saleh and Glenn in their coaching styles has been how they have acted throughout their early years.

When Saleh led the team, the same fiery coach that had organizations buzzing about his candidacy was gone. Instead, a stoic and even-keeled person was in his place. Glenn's passion and fire haven't gone away, even while watching the Jets struggle through the first year of his tenure. That kind of authenticity has endeared itself to the locker room and front office.

The team believes in Glenn. He believes in the Jets. And if they can find a way to beat his predecessor in Week 1, then it could be the first sign of good faith that New York fans can give back.

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