The New York Jets are cleaning house. A month after letting go of head coach Robert Saleh, Jets owner Woody Johnson has fired Joe Douglas as general manager.
Douglas, hired ahead of the 2019 season, led the Jets to a 30-64 record over six seasons. The team never finished above .500 during his tenure.
“The Jets are starting from the ground up again,” ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday afternoon.
Joe Douglas tenure as Jets’ GM ends after 5+ years and a 30-64 record. https://t.co/LY153fd0Nh
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 19, 2024
Former Cleveland Browns general manager Phil Savage is the Jets’ interim GM.
The firing comes as the Jets sit at 3-8 heading into their bye week.
“Today, I informed Joe Douglas he will no longer serve as the General Manager of the New York Jets. I want to thank Joe for his commitment to the Jets over the last six years and wish him and his family the best moving forward,” Johnson said in a statement.
— New York Jets (@nyjets) November 19, 2024
Johnson added that the franchise will immediately begin the process of identifying a new GM.
New York had Super Bowl aspirations entering 2024 with a healthy Aaron Rodgers back in the lineup. However, it’s been a nightmare season.
The Jets fired Saleh after Week 5’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings when they were 2-3. Under interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich, the Jets have fared worse, going 1-5.
The Jets also traded for All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams — Rodgers’ former teammate with the Green Bay Packers — but he’s been unable to lift the sluggish offense.
Now, the big question is: Will Rodgers be the Jets’ starting quarterback in 2025 with Saleh and Douglas gone? That $35 million decision will fall to Johnson.
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Joe Douglas wasn’t able to find franchise quarterback for New York Jets
One of the biggest reasons for Douglas’s dismissal is his failure to secure a franchise quarterback.
The Rodgers acquisition backfired. He missed all but four plays of last season after tearing his Achilles against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. This year, Rodgers has struggled, showing every bit of his 40 years of age.
In 2021, Douglas selected Zach Wilson second overall in the NFL Draft, but Wilson proved to be a complete bust. During his three seasons in New York, Wilson went 12-21, threw 23 touchdowns against 25 interceptions, and was sacked 113 times. The Jets traded him to the Denver Broncos before this season for a sixth-round pick.
Under Douglas, the Jets cycled through nine different quarterbacks since 2019.
The incoming GM faces an almost impossible task, needing to rebuild the entire Jets operation. The question remains: Is it worth it?
Related: ESPN host claims Aaron Rodgers ‘undercut’ Robert Saleh as New York Jets fire head coach