Bill Belichick on Monday criticized the New York Jets’ decision to fire coach Robert Saleh, describing the move as a “little early” and launching an attack on team owner Woody Johnson.

The comments add to a quarter-century rift between the longtime coach of the New England Patriots and the rival Jets, whom he coached for a day in 2000 before infamous resignation on a napkin before he could be introduced to the media.

While appearing on the alternate broadcast “Monday Night Football” with Peyton and Eli Manning, Belichick said he thought Saleh “brought in a culture, a level of toughness and competitiveness.” When Peyton Manning said he thought Saleh’s firing after five games seemed “pretty early,” Belichick expressed a lack of surprise.

“That’s kind of what it’s been like there with the Jets, you know?” Belichick, the six-time Super Bowl champion, said. “They have barely won more than 30 percent of their games in the last ten years. The owner is the owner, just ready, shoot, aim.

Belichick’s rivalry with the Jets — “I’m not a big Jets fan, in case you can’t tell,” he said Monday — dates back to his January 2000 firing.

Belichick, who was the Jets’ assistant head coach and defensive coordinator under Bill Parcells from 1997 to 1999, said in an ESPN documentary “30 for 30” in 2018 that the ownership transition to Johnson, who bought the team in 2000, was part of the reason.

“Essentially the problem I had with the whole arrangement was that when all this happened there was no ownership,” Belichick said. “Sir. (Leon) Hess passed away after the season (’98). There were two potential owners: (Woody) Johnson and (James) Dolan.

“I hadn’t spoken to either of them, but I had problems with both. … The whole ownership setup was a major factor in my decision.”

Belichick instead went from the Jets to New England, where he not only won six Super Bowls but also went 39-12 against New York, including the playoffs. His 39 wins are the most by a coach against one team in the Super Bowl era.

Earlier on Monday, Belichick mentioned on SiriusXM’s “Let’s Go!” Saleh’s dismissal ‘premature’.

“I thought it was a little early to pull the trigger,” he said. “But not out of character for the owner. Woody is always difficult to predict what he will do. Some of it is just hard to understand, but I think Saleh did a good job there.

“He brought a strong culture to the defense and obviously wasn’t quite there yet, but going a long way into the season seemed like a premature move.”

Saleh, who was that? discharged on Tuesday following the Jets’ loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London, he went 20-36 in just over three seasons from 2021 to 2024, failing to make the playoffs at any point during his tenure. The Jets have had seven head coaches since 2000, none lasting longer than six seasons, although this was the first time in Johnson’s 25 years as owner that the Jets fired a coach during the season.

With defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich taking over as interim coach, New York lost 23-20 to the Buffalo Bills on Monday drop to 2-4.

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(Photo: Winslow Townson/Getty Images)