Jets' decision to fire GM Joe Douglas is the final chapter of a disappointing tenure
Remember the excitement when the New York Jets had the second overall pick in 2021, a draft class that was supposed to have several good quarterback prospects. Remember the excitement when the Jets acquired Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers. General manager Joe Douglas put a lot of talent in place in different moments […]
Remember the excitement when the New York Jets had the second overall pick in 2021, a draft class that was supposed to have several good quarterback prospects. Remember the excitement when the Jets acquired Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers.
General manager Joe Douglas put a lot of talent in place in different moments of his tenure. But the lack of a successful long-term plan to address the quarterback position was costly. And when he executed a plan with Rodgers, the rest of the roster imploded. By now, everyone knew it would be over soon. And now it is.
On Tuesday, the Jets fired Joe Douglas during his sixth season as a general manager. A disappointing tenure, especially considering how big the expectations were.
Joe Douglas started his NFL career as a scout for the Baltimore Ravens, where he spent 15 seasons from 2000 to 2014. Then, a fast rise would come. He was hired as the Chicago Bears' director of college scouting in 2015 and as the Philadelphia Eagles' vice-president of player personnel in 2016.
At that moment, working behind respected general manager Howie Roseman, it was a matter of time before he would receive his first opportunity as a GM.
He waited and chose the one he thought would be perfect. And there were good moments. He drafted Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner, accumulated extra draft capital, built a strong defense.
At some point, nothing mattered, because he was never able to find a high-level quarterback. Even when he theoretically did with Aaron Rodgers, the on-field production doesn't justify the investment.
The Jets had fired head coach Robert Saleh, and Joe Douglas was in the last season of the six-year deal he signed back in 2019, when he took the job. The team won only one game after firing Saleh, so there was nothing else to blame.
Joe Douglas ends his tenure with a 30-64 record. And it didn't seem like it was going to get any better any time soon.
Hypothetical landing spots for Aaron Rodgers: 5 teams to watch in 2025
Rodgers’ tenure with the Jets is over
