Rodgers told reporters later Thursday that he had an indication that a change in play-callers was likely.

“I knew there would be changes after they let Robert go,” Rodgers said. “I had conversations with (Ulbrich) over the course of the two days. I knew he was thinking about it and learning from it, and I told him that whatever he decided, I would support him.”

Rodgers and Hackett have not performed as expected over the last five weeks. Aside from their dominant performance against the weak Patriots in Week 3, almost everything was a challenge for Rodgers and the Jets' offense, and with Hackett failing to come up with favorable plans, Ulbrich decided now was the time to get to it Coach and his quarterback's passing game to turn coordinator for a new perspective on the offense.

The move could feel eerily similar to the one in Philadelphia last season, when Nick Sirianni replaced defensive coordinator Sean Desai with Matt Patricia in the role but not the title. Desai ended up in the locker room while Patricia took over the defensive play-calling duties in Week 15 of the 2023 season, and unfortunately for these Eagles, the move didn't produce the desired improvement.

In New York, however, something else is at stake. Rodgers is 40 years old and has instilled a sense of urgency in the Jets that was so strong that owner Woody Johnson fired Saleh after their 2-3 start. Judging by the tone of Ulbrich's statements Thursday, his decision appeared to be the only way to save Hackett's job.

“Even though I say that, it's just further testament to the person that Nathaniel Hackett is, the fact that he will give us his all, body, heart and soul, and will continue to be a big part of our success.” “We will have to move forward from an offensive perspective,” said Ulbrich. “I feel so lucky that he is staying with us.”

Ulbrich added that Hackett “will still be a big contributor to everything we do on offense,” and Rodgers later said that Hackett staying with the Jets shows who he is as a person.

“I love Nathaniel. He’s one of my dearest friends in the league,” Rodgers said. “Obviously a difficult situation. But I think it speaks volumes for the character he has that he wants to stay with him. Be there for me, be there for Todd – support Todd. This is an honor for the man he is.”

However, it is clear that immediate results will be more important in this case than others as the clock is ticking for the Rodgers-led Jets.

As for the remaining fallout from Saleh's firing, Ulbrich said he will “retain the title of defensive coordinator” and “retain game-calling duties.”

With that out of the way, all we have to do is produce. Their journey continues with a Monday night showdown against the division rival Bills.