A New York radio host claims New York Jets coach Robert Saleh was fired in part because of the Lebanese flag patch he wore on the field.
Saleh was released on October 8 after consecutive losses, and the team started the 2024 season with a 2-3 record at that point.
However, according to radio broadcaster Joe Benigno, Saleh's losing record may not have been the only reason for his dismissal.
“I have to say something else and I hate to get political, but in this case I have to,” Benigno said Tuesday on “The Jake Usman Show.” spoke.
“There was a Lebanese flag on Saleh's shirt the other day in London. Now, we all know what's going on in the Middle East. There's no surface on what's going on in the Middle East. Hezbollah We all know about the rockets being fired from Lebanon into Israel and everything that's going on there,” Benigno continued.
“We know he is a Muslim,” the radioman added. “I think he represents the Lebanese people because I don’t think the Lebanese people are really happy with Hezbollah. I don’t think that’s the case at all. I saw it in , so I think that may have influenced this in some way.”
Benigno only took to social media to express his concerns about the national flag patch Saleh was wearing on the field.
However, it seems unlikely that this patch was a political message.
Saleh is of Lebanese descent and wore the same flag patch last year as part of the NFL Heritage Program, which encourages players and staff to express pride in their heritage.
Despite Saleh being the NFL's first Muslim head coach, the patch appears to have little to do with Islam, politics or the current situation in the Middle East.
Rather, he was fired because he didn't perform well. The Jets had a 20-36 record during Saleh's tenure, but he never had a season above .500.
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