Robert Saleh admits to making huge mistake with D.J. Reed: ‘Shame on me’

Humility is a quality that allowed Robert Saleh to endear himself to Jets fans in his first season as head coach. He frequently conceded that he was learning how to run the show on a weekly basis — a stark contrast from Adam Gase’s smartest man in the room persona — and never frowned upon the notion that he had room for growth.

Even when he could seemingly do no wrong as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator from 2017-2020, Saleh wasn’t perfect, and he’s well aware of it. One of his admitted shortcomings was the usage of D.J. Reed, who just inked a three-year deal with the Jets in free agency.

Reed seemed like somewhat of an unrealistic target for New York given the way things worked out for him under Saleh’s watch in San Francisco. The 5-foot-9 cornerback was shown the door just two seasons after being drafted in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft, largely because the 49ers couldn’t find a home for him in their secondary.

Reed then joined forces with Pete Carroll — one of Saleh’s mentors — in Seattle and went on to become one of the Seahawks’ best defensive backs in 2020 and 2021. While Saleh and San Francisco tried to force Reed into unfamiliar positions because of his size, Carroll let him play his natural role as an outside corner.

“You know credit to DJ and shame on me. When I was the defensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers we looked at him as a nickel safety,” Saleh said on the Jets’ official podcast with Eric Allen. “We tried to pin him there and said he can’t play on the outside, Reed is too small. Because of COVID and roster restrictions, he had an injury so we had to cut him and we were hoping to be able to stash him for the year.

“To Seattle’s credit, they claimed him, stashed him, and waited until he got healthy, and for the next 1.5 years, he absolutely dominated on the outside. He proved Seattle right and proved me wrong and I’m not afraid to admit that.”

Saleh is now looking to make the most of his second chance coaching Reed. It took the 25-year-old just 24 games with the Seahawks to post 140 tackles, 17 pass deflections and four interceptions. Those coverage and tackling skills will go a long way in bolstering a Jets secondary that struggled throughout last season.

“I’m so proud of him and it is a testament to who he is and the type of mindset he has,” Saleh said. “If you say he can’t do something, he will prove you wrong. So be very careful about the challenges you make to him because he will prove you wrong. I can’t say enough great things about him.”