The New York Jets have already made sweeping changes after a 3-8 start, firing head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas and even considered a quarterback change. While those changes occurred in-season, now the Jets must work overtime, trying to identify the next decision-makers to lead the Jets back to relevance.
There are only 32 general manager jobs in the NFL, which should mean the Jets will have an easy time finding a qualified candidate ready to fill their vacancy. Yet, a deeper look into the situation reveals why the Jets could run into more roadblocks than they anticipated when firing Douglas.
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New York Jets’ GM job labeled ‘undesirable’
The New York Jets haven’t been taken seriously since Rex Ryan was the head coach, when they made back-to-back AFC Conference Championship appearances from 2009 to 2010. Even then, the Jets never felt like Super Bowl contenders with Mark Sanchez leading the way.
Once the season ends, the Jets will have gone 14 seasons in between playoff appearances. They’ve finished dead last in the AFC East in seven of those years. So when Aaron Rodgers came to town, it’s not hard to understand why fans were so excited about getting a 4x NFL MVP.
Yet, the Jets are still an absolute disaster from the top down. In fact, some would suggest that many of their issues begin at the top. The very top.
As the Jets prepare to begin their search for a new GM, some believe Woody Johnson’s team will have an extremely difficult time hiring a competent replacement for Joe Douglas.
“Well, an intriguing candidate has to actually want this Jets general manager job. This will not be the most desirable opening. But since general managers enjoy longer tenures than head coaches, and only 32 of these jobs exist, the candidate pool will be fairly strong.”
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler
NFL insider Dan Graziano agreed with his colleague’s assessment, openly asking, “How desirable is this job really going to be in the offseason?”
That remains to be seen. While the Jets have a strong nucleus of players, including Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, Quinnen Williams, and Sauce Gardner, the QB position remains a big weakness. Plus, this is a locker room that could be losing trust in their organization after being promised so much but delivering so little.
Related: New York Jets ownership wanted Aaron Rodgers benched near the start of 2024 season