Jets fire GM Joe Douglas in the midst of horrendous season
NEW YORK -- Joe Douglas is out as general manager of the New York Jets.
The move comes six weeks after head coach Robert Saleh was fired following the much-hyped team's 2-3 start to the 2024 season.
"Today I informed Joe Douglas he will no longer serve as the General Manager of the New York Jets," owner Woody Johnson said in a statement. "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. Phil Savage will be the interim General Manager for the remainder of the season. We will begin the process to identify a new General Manager immediately."
Savage, who had been the Jets' senior football advisor since 2019 and one of Douglas' most trusted lieutenants, has had several administrative jobs in the NFL, including a run as senior vice president and GM of the Cleveland Browns from 2005-08.
A look at Joe Douglas' tenure with the Jets
Under Douglas, who was in the final year of his contract, the Jets went 30-64 in five-plus seasons, without a winning record. Their 3-8 start this season almost assures the franchise will miss the playoffs for the 14th straight season, the longest current streak of futility in the NFL.
The final straw for Johnson likely was Sunday's 28-27 home loss to the Indianapolis Colts, in which the Jets were brutal on offense to begin the game and then collapsed on defense in the final minutes.
It's not that the 48-year-old Douglas wasn't proactive during his tenure; it's that many of the moves simply did not work. He brought in several veterans who had achieved varying levels of success for other teams, only to see them fail to reproduce their earlier level of play.
Perhaps what Douglas will be most remembered for is trading for four-time NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers, only to see the future Hall of Famer contribute to just three wins over parts of two seasons. Rodgers, who will turn 41 in December, missed all but four plays of the 2023 season after tearing his left Achilles during the Jets opener against the Buffalo Bills.
Despite drafting several players who have turned into solid pros -- wide receiver Garrett Wilson, running back Breece Hall, cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive end Jermaine Johnson II, among others -- Douglas failed to find the team's long-sought after franchise quarterback in the draft, prompting him to try to a quick fix with a once-great quarterback in Rodgers who appears to be well past his prime.
The Jets' offense is currently averaging just 18.5 points per game, 26th in the NFL.
Rodgers has one year left on the three-year, $112.5 million contract he signed prior to the 2023 season, with a $23 million salary cap hit in 2025. He has indicated he wants to play next season, but with the Jets apparently entering full rebuilding mode yet again, it's possible they'll move on from him during the offseason.
The decision by Johnson to fire Douglas now also doesn't bode well for interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich, who was promoted from defensive coordinator after Saleh's ouster, but has just one win in six games.
The Jets are currently in their bye week and return to the field on Dec. 1 against the visiting Seattle Seahawks.