New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh has come to the defense of suspended wide receivers coach Miles Austin.
“I’m not going to get into details of all the things,” Saleh said of the situation when speaking with reporters Friday, per the Jets’ official website. “I know Miles is a non-malicious person, so there’s a lot of things that I’d like to say, but he’s got to go through his due diligence and have faith in the people making the decisions that once they hear him out, they’ll do the right thing.”
It was learned back on Dec. 23 that Austin, a former NFL receiver who spent the bulk of his playing career with the Dallas Cowboys, triggered a suspension of at least one year after he allegedly violated the league’s gambling policy. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported at that time there was “no indication Austin bet on NFL games as a coach but bet on other sports.”
Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post mentioned Friday that Austin may have “confused the difference in the player and coach rules” as it pertains to gambling restrictions. Active players are permitted to place bets on non-football-related games, while coaches are prohibited from partaking in any sports wagering.
Saleh confirmed that Austin has been “away from the team” and that offensive assistant Mack Brown is coaching the receivers until further notice.
The 7-8 Jets, as a whole, have more important things to worry about heading into the new year. As ESPN’s Rich Cimini pointed out, Gang Green would officially be eliminated from postseason contention with a loss to the 7-8 Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon. The 8-7 Miami Dolphins will enter Sunday holding the conference’s final wild-card berth, and they will host a 7-8 New England Patriots side that has a tiebreaker advantage over the Jets.
The Dolphins-Patriots clash may finish before the Jets play at Lumen Field. Saleh insisted he won’t be “scoreboard watching” because the outcome of that game is meaningless if the Jets don’t take care of their business.
