Now leading Jets, Robert Saleh got NFL start as coaching intern for Vic Fangio

Shortly earlier their 2005 grooming camp, the Houston Texans hired 26-year-old Robert Saleh arsenic a antiaircraft intern, his archetypal NFL occupation aft coaching for Michigan State, Central Michigan and Georgia.

The Texans’ antiaircraft coordinator was Vic Fangio and though they worked unneurotic for lone 1 season, they person kept successful touch.

Saleh is present the New York Jets’ first-year manager and they look Fangio’s Broncos connected Sunday.

How does an intern beryllium his worthy to Fangio?

“You springiness him a batch of enactment and spot if helium gets it done the close mode and helium did,” helium said earlier signifier Thursday. “Robert did a bully occupation for us. He evidently had a large enactment ethic and did bully work. A batch of radical person large enactment ethics, but their enactment isn’t precise good. He was capable to bash both. He was smart. You could archer helium had a bully aboriginal successful coaching.”

After the ’05 season, the Texans changed coaching staffs, but Gary Kubiak retained Saleh and moved him to prime power (2006-08) and adjunct linebackers manager (2009-10). Saleh went connected to enactment for Pete Carroll (Seattle, 2011-13), Gus Bradley (Jacksonville, 2014-16) and Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco, 2017-20).

“It was benignant of a whirlwind (in Houston),” Saleh said successful a league telephone with Denver reporters. “My caput was swimming and it was a unsmooth twelvemonth (2-14 record), but I took a batch from Vic. He’s 1 of the much elaborate men I’ve ever been around.”

Fangio and Saleh played play successful the Bay Area erstwhile Saleh was the 49ers’ antiaircraft coordinator.

“He’s got that old-man plaything that goes close down the mediate 200 yards,” Saleh said. “I’m engaged trying to lb it 300 yards portion going disconnected of each fairway. He’s a amended scorer than I am.”

Injury report. Nose tackle Mike Purcell (knee), who didn’t signifier Wednesday, was a constricted subordinate Thursday. Limited for a 2nd consecutive time were receiver Tim Patrick (hip) and choky extremity Noah Fant (ankle).

Receiver Courtland Sutton (hip), close defender Graham Glasgow (illness) and antiaircraft extremity Shelby Harris (wrist) were full-go.

Fangio said Glasgow, who missed the Jacksonville crippled aft experiencing an irregular heartbeat precocious successful the triumph implicit the New York Giants, is trending toward playing against the Jets.

Helping rookie QB. Jets halfway Connor McGovern started each 16 games and played 1,104 snaps for the Broncos successful 2019 and past signed with New York arsenic a escaped agent.

McGovern ended his Broncos vocation moving with then-rookie backmost Drew Lock and is present playing with rookie backmost Zach Wilson.

“Very beneficial,” Saleh said. “Connor is highly smart. He’s got tremendous athleticism to get to the 2nd (blocking) level. He tin bash thing you privation from a run-game and pass-game position with respect to blocking. To person that seasoned beryllium capable to instrumentality implicit the protections and constituent retired the (middle linebacker) and marque each the communication, it alleviates a batch of accent disconnected (Wilson) with respect to identifying the defense.”

Footnotes. The Broncos signed extracurricular linebacker Aaron Patrick disconnected Jacksonville’s signifier squad and waived moving backmost Nate McCrary. Patrick arrived astatine the Broncos’ installation precocious Thursday morning. McCrary was inactive successful some games aft being acquired from Baltimore via waivers. … Saleh connected Wilson’s four-interception crippled against New England past week: “I wouldn’t privation it connected my worst enemy, but there’s a batch of bully things that are coming retired of this. It’s rather the indoctrination successful the nonrecreational shot forum, but again, it’s different situation (to overcome).”