Jets fire general manager Joe Douglas, source confirms
Jets general manager Joe Douglas speaks to reporters at the team’s training facility in Florham Park, N.J., on Nov. 6. Credit: AP/Dennis Waszak Jr.
Joe Douglas is out as Jets general manager.
Jets owner Woody Johnson fired Douglas on Tuesday, a league source confirmed. This move was expected at the end of the season, but Johnson decided to pull the trigger with the Jets in their bye week.
The Jets have underachieved after expectations were so high this season. Douglas had been the Jets GM since June of 2019. The Jets have gone 30-64 with no playoff appearances during Douglas’ watch. They are 3-8 this season.
Douglas was in the last year of his contract. His job was on shaky ground as soon as Robert Saleh was fired following a Week 5 loss in London.
Johnson fired Saleh, an uncharacteristic and risky move just five weeks into the season. Douglas ran the coaching search that ultimately brought Saleh to the Jets and had no say in the decision. The Jets have gone 1-5 since Saleh’s dismissal.
Douglas was a part of Super Bowl teams while working in the scouting and personnel departments for the Ravens and Eagles.
His background led to Douglas trying to build the Jets up front. He spent a lot of resources on both lines. The offensive line proved a far bigger challenge for Douglas and the Jets. His biggest failure, though, was drafting Zach Wilson second overall in 2021.
The Jets believed Wilson would be their franchise quarterback. That never panned out and Wilson became one of the worst draft picks in Jets’ history, if not the worst. Last offseason, the Jets traded Wilson to the Broncos, where he’s the third-string quarterback.
That unfortunately may end up being Douglas’ legacy with the Jets, but the following season he had a terrific draft. Douglas selected four impactful players: cornerback Sauce Gardner, wide receiver Garrett Wilson, edge rusher Jermaine Johnson and running back Breece Hall.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
