Seahawks' Pete Carroll: 'Luckiest Thing to Ever Happen' to Jets Coach Robert Saleh

The Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets will have to channel any unrelated or outside emotion toward physicality on the football field when the two teams meet for a must-win game at Lumen Field on Sunday.

But for Jets coach Robert Saleh, it's difficult to ignore his connections to the Seahawks and how it has brought him to arguably the biggest moment of his coaching career.

After being let go off the staff of the Houston Texans, Saleh was left without work. But he was brought on Seattle's staff by coach Pete Carroll as a defensive quality control coach for the 2011 season, a role he kept until 2013. Saleh then secured a Super Bowl ring while helping lead the "Legion of Boom" to some historical production.

Saleh's time in Seattle helped jump-start a career that now has him two wins away from leading the Jets to the playoffs for the first time since 2010, and he's making it known how grateful he is for the opportunity Carroll gave him.

"When we were all let go in Houston, I just needed a job," Saleh said. "Probably the luckiest thing that ever happened to me."

He eventually made his way back to the NFC West as the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. Saleh continued to battle with Carroll and the Seahawks for four seasons from 2017 to 2020, where he gained respect for his work leading an elite Niners defense.

Still, Saleh and the Niners went just 2-8 against the Seahawks and Carroll during his tenure in San Francisco. Now with the Jets, he'll need to reverse this fortune on Sunday. But he remains thankful regardless.

"To go there and to learn so much about myself ... because of the things that he challenged us on from a character standpoint," Saleh said. "As individuals, how are we developing ourselves as coaches? He was instrumental in all of it and I'm very thankful for him."

The Seahawks (7-8) and Jets (7-8) kickoff at 1:05 p.m. PT.

You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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