NFL coaches do not consult with sports reporters or media personalities on strategy and personnel decisions.
New York Jets coach Robert Saleh surely didn’t do that, although former WFAN personality Joe Benigno hinted strongly otherwise Monday.
The former WFAN host appeared on the Evan & Tiki podcast and talked about the Jets’ recent decision to bench struggling quarterback Zach Wilson.
Benigno, who hosts the Oh the Pain podcast, said recently that the Jets should play Wilson.
“I can tell you right now, he [Saleh] don’t like Zach,” Benigno said on Evan & Tiki. “He don’t like Zach.”
Why would Benigno say that? Because he says he exchanged texts with Saleh. Benigno recently mentioned six steps the Jets need to take to improve.
“I listed them … and No. 3 I said, ‘You gotta go back to Zach,'” Benigno said. “So he texted me back and — he might get mad at me for this, but I don’t care — he texts me back and says, ‘Joe, about No. 3. Are you kidding me?'”
https://twitter.com/WFAN660/status/1731796772157292652
Podcast hosts Tiki Barber and Evan Roberts laughed at the anecdote, and Benigno did too, before admitting he had paraphrased Saleh.
“It might have been ‘Are you serious,’ or something like that,” Benigno said.
Fans on X/Twitter said the alleged texting seemed far-fetched, if it happened it was inappropriate to share Saleh’s comment, and either way Benigno might have misinterpreted the comment.
https://twitter.com/RogerClark41/status/1731804412652233083
hes saying "are you kidding me". bc everyone killed saleh for sticking with zach
— Luigi D'Onorio DeMeo (@luigidemeo) December 4, 2023
If you think Saleh texted this to a radio host then I don’t know what to tell you. No way he put that in writing. Can’t believe everything you hear in the media.
— Gang Green Empire (@GangGreenEmpire) December 4, 2023
He texted him back like that because Joe had been crying for them to bench Zach all of this season. Not because he doesn’t like Zach lol. #Jets
— CarzJetz (@CarzPix) December 4, 2023
What do you expect from Joe
— Stevie Gunz 🇵🇷🍉🤷🏾♂️ (@Stevelove24) December 5, 2023
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.