AFC Notes: Woody Johnson, Aaron Rodgers, Sean McDermott, Bills, Jets, Patriots

Bills

• ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler write they both got a lot of texts from prospective head coaching candidates and agents asking if they thought Bills HC Sean McDermott was on the hot seat after the collapse against the Texans in Week 5. 
• The two reiterate that, same as the last year or so, all the speculation about McDermott’s job security has come from outside the building and there’s little indication the Bills are mulling a major change at this point. 
• Bills QB Josh Allen went into the medical tent in Week 5’s game against the Texans for a head injury after it looked like he might have been knocked out when his head hit the turf. He said the medical staff cleared him to return to the game: “I obviously went into the tent. I can only control what I can control. What we talked about there, they deemed me cleared to play, and that’s what happened. That’s as deep as I’ll get into it.” (Alaina Getzenberg)

Jets

• ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler confirm the sense out of New York is the decision to fire HC Robert Saleh was driven solely by owner Woody Johnson. Graziano added he doesn’t get the sense there was any kind of significant rift between Saleh and QB Aaron Rodgers that led to the firing. 
• Fowler has also had sources defend the relationship between Saleh and Rodgers and point the finger at Johnson as the mastermind in this decision.
• Fowler writes it seems like back-to-back losses to the Broncos and Vikings pushed Johnson to make this change, and one pointed out Johnson didn’t hire Saleh and might not have been as bought in on him as his brother, Jets CEO Christopher Johnson, who hired Saleh while Woody Johnson was serving as the U.S. ambassador to the U.K.
• Johnson thinks highly of both new interim HC Jeff Ulbrich and HC Joe Douglas, per Fowler, so there’s a chance both could be retained next year if things turn around for the Jets in 2024. 
• Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson spoke with two sources who described Johnson as less impressed with Saleh than outside observers or others in the Jets building. He notes Johnson was quietly frustrated with how much the team struggled in 2023 after Rodgers’ Achilles injury. 
• Said one source to Robinson: “I think the biggest thing is Woody felt like Saleh could never get it all tied together in the three phases of the game. He wasn’t the same guy — it’s like, Saleh’s reputation in the media of him being a fiery leader, that’s not what Woody saw. I don’t think he was as impressed by Saleh as everyone else was. Remember, Woody is a fan. He sees the games like a fan does.”
• The same source saw the loss in London as the tipping point for Johnson: “It’s in London and he was an ambassador [to the United Kingdom] and it’s against a guy who was a Jets quarterback [Sam Darnold]. He’s got people at that game and then it just looked out of sync and bad. I think he was carrying this [critical opinion] about Saleh around for a while and [the London game] was just the opportunity to act on it.”
• Robinson doesn’t buy that Rodgers wasn’t consulted on the decision to fire Saleh, noting the team puts a high value on his opinion. One Jets executive told Robinson that had Rodgers come out and backed DE Haason Reddick, the Jets would have worked out an extension. Instead, Rodgers has been indifferent to that situation. 
• Robinson adds Johnson is also frustrated with OC Nathaniel Hackett, but it seems like his demotion will wait for another week at least with one final chance in Week 6 against the Bills. 

• When appearing on the Pat McAfee Show, Aaron Rodgers made clear there was no bad blood between him and former HC Robert Saleh: “I love Coach Saleh. We have a solid relationship… He was a big reason why I came to the Jets. … I really like Coach Saleh.” (Kimberley A. Martin)
• Rodgers resents accusations he played a part in getting Saleh fired: “I resent any of those accusations because they’re patently false. It’s interesting the amount of power think I have which I don’t. But I love Robert.” (Zack Rosenblatt)
• Rodgers confirmed he had a quick discussion with owner Woody Johnson the day before Saleh was fired, but Johnson never mentioned anything about his decision: “I did talk to Woody. He called me on Monday night. We had a short conversation. He just asked me how I was doing … we talked about the game, how disappointed I was in my performance and how we’re gonna get this thing turned around and we hung up. Woody has no obligation to let me know what his plans are.” (Rosenblatt)
• When asked about OC Nathaniel Hackett, Rodgers said he was told there were going to be some changes and they were going to “adjust” some things, but reiterated Johnson never told him they would move on from Saleh, via Connor  Hughes.  
• Rodgers is “on board” with whatever interim HC Jeff Ulbrich decides going forward. 
• Rodgers feels the players need to “take accountability” for Saleh’s removal: “We need as players to take accountability for what happened, that’s what hits you in the moment too—If I played better on Sunday, this doesn’t happen. … That was the main sentiment yesterday. Obviously, my heart’s going out to Robert.” (Albert Breer)

Patriots

Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte said that performance on Sunday was a result of how much he’s grown since joining the team.

“I’d say I’ve grown a lot. Not just on the field, but off the field too mentally. Everything is going right and then everything falls into place,” Boutte said, via MassLive. “I just feel like there’s no doubt that I could play. It was just putting everything together, honestly.”

Boutte hopes he can carve out a larger role within the offense and said he was proud of his performance.

“It means a lot,” Boutte said. “Name was called. Just went out there and presented – two for two – catching every ball that comes to me. I blocked in the run game, helping Rhamondre spark his big run. It was big for the offense.”