Joe Douglas

Woody Johnson Nixed Jets Effort To Acquire Jerry Jeudy, Impeded Joe Douglas On Bryce Huff, Haason Reddick

November 20th, 2024 at 10:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets are barreling toward their 14th straight season wrapping without a playoff berth, and their Robert Saleh-Joe Douglas regime’s unraveling points to ownership having a more difficult time filling its HC and GM positions come 2025.

Woody Johnson‘s meddling has become an issue for the Jets. The longtime owner admitted he went around Douglas to fire Saleh, something that led to the sixth-year GM losing power during his final weeks on the job. Other Jets power brokers led the way in the Davante Adams trade and Haason Reddick resolution talks. Earlier this year, however, Johnson stood as a roadblock to Douglas’ efforts to improve the team’s roster in other ways.

We heard in March the Jets joined the Browns and Patriots in pursuing Jerry Jeudy. The then-Broncos wide receiver, a trade-block staple alongside ex-teammate Courtland Sutton, went to Cleveland for fifth- and sixth-round picks. Denver may well have obtained more for the former first-round pick had Douglas gotten his way.

The Jets are believed to have offered a Day 2 pick and Allen Lazard — a 2023 Broncos target — for Jeudy, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Zack Rosenblatt, only to see Johnson nix any potential deal. Jeudy going into his age-25 season intrigued the Jets, who aimed to avoid aging players in this year’s free agency (subscription required). That did not end up happening, as Tyron Smith and Mike Williams joined trade pickup Morgan Moses in joining the Jets in March.

It would have been interesting if the Broncos were willing to acquire Lazard, who was still owed a fully guaranteed base salary ($10MM) this year. Lazard underwhelmed after receiving $22MM guaranteed at signing in 2023. Denver did end up giving Josh Reynolds a two-year, $9MM deal; Lazard would have been costlier. Jeudy, who would have joined Garrett Wilson and potentially affected the Jets’ interest in Adams, has since signed a Browns extension.

Weeks later, Douglas signed off on acquiring Reddick despite warnings from his camp the Jets should not trade for the talented edge rusher unless they wanted to extend him. As it turns out, Douglas appeared more open to an extension than he initially let on. Reddick had expressed frustration with the Jets, believing they would revisit extension talks. Douglas may well have been onboard here, per The Athletic, which attributes the resistance to extending the then-29-year-old EDGE to Johnson. Even as Johnson helped bring Reddick into the fold in October, he certainly looks to have prevented his then-GM from extending him this offseason.

Before the Jets zeroed in on Reddick, they let Bryce Huff walk. Huff joined the Eagles on a three-year, $51MM deal, but if Douglas had his way, the team may have made a stronger effort to re-sign the team’s 2023 sack leader. Johnson is believed to have blocked his GM from making an extension offer to Huff, whom many teams pursued once the Jets let him hit the market. We heard in early February no offer had come. This came months after Johnson is believed to have restricted his GM from making a stronger effort to replace Aaron Rodgers once the QB suffered an Achilles tear.

Johnson also drove an effort to have safety Tony Adams benched in Week 11, with Russini and Rosenblatt reinforcing the notion the owner has placed too much stock in social media assessments of his team. Rumblings recently pointed to Johnson listening to too many non-football staffers in making decisions. This offseason also featured multiple high-ranking Jets football ops staffers dismissed, with assistant GM Rex Hogan being fired and then player personnel director Chad Alexander becoming the Chargers’ assistant GM. Johnson prevented Douglas from replacing either staffer, Russini and Rosenblatt add. (For what it’s worth, some in the organization believed Hogan had been responsible for many leaks; though, a flood of leaks have come out in the months since.) The owner’s actions led Douglas to tell some remaining Jets staffers Johnson “should just fire me now.”

Also believed to have pushed for the Jets to bench Rodgers after the team’s Week 4 loss to the Broncos — to the point one coach, per The Athletic, asked if the owner was serious — Johnson will have a lot to answer for after this wildly disappointing Jets season.

The Jets are expected to part with Rodgers, whom coaches feared would be embarrassed had Johnson gotten his way with the benching request. After all, Johnson played a key role in Rodgers agreeing to put off retirement and agree to a Jets trade last year. Sitting him for Tyrod Taylor so early in his Achilles comeback would have been one of the more shocking developments in recent NFL history.

This increased meddling will not make it easier for the owner to find quality GM and HC options in 2025, but even as the former ambassador to the United Kingdom is in the mix to reclaim that post under the second Donald Trump administration (a move that would again leave Christopher Johnson as acting owner), Woody Johnson is set to lead the Jets’ searches to replace Saleh and Douglas.

Jets Fire GM Joe Douglas

November 19th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

Weeks after dismissing head coach Robert Saleh, the Jets have also cleaned house in the front office. General manager Joe Douglas has been fired, as first reported by SNY’s Connor Hughes. The move is now official, with the team announcement noting veteran executive Phil Savage will serve as interim GM.

2024 marked the final year of Douglas’ deal, leading to plenty of speculation at the the start of the season regarding his job security. He, Saleh and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett received a mulligan after the 2023 campaign was marred by Aaron Rodgers‘ Achilles tear. The current season has not gone according to plan, however, and Saleh was fired in October. Hackett remains on staff, but he was replaced by Todd Downing as the team’s offensive play-caller in the wake of Saleh’s departure.

Douglas was not involved in the decision to make a coaching change, something which created the recent appearance of a disconnect between he and owner Woody Johnson. With the campaign headed toward another finish outside of the playoffs, the latter has chosen to make another major organizational change. New York’s efforts in the coming offseason will certainly be a central league storyline.

Naturally, the midseason coaching alterations led to a fresh round of questions concerning Douglas’ standing in the organization. A report from last month indicated both Douglas and interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich were held in high regard by Johnson, however, which suggested the pair would have the remainder of the season to try and oversee a playoff push. Ulbrich has gone 1-5 since taking over, and as such the postseason is out of reach at this point. Rather than allowing Douglas to finish his contract, the team has moved on ahead of time.

Douglas took New York’s GM gig in 2019 after tenures with the Ravens, Bears and Eagles. His time in various capacities across those organizations boosted his stock and led to high expectations for the Jets’ rebuilding efforts with him at the helm. The first year of the Douglas era resulted in a 7-9 campaign with Sam Darnold at quarterback and Adam Gase in place as head coach.

That pairing remained in the fold for one more year, one which resulted in a 2-14 record and sweeping changes being made. Gase was replaced by Saleh, while Darnold was traded away. The latter’s replacement – Zach Wilson – was viewed as the central focus of New York’s ability to return to the postseason. Instead, the former No. 2 pick struggled throughout his Jets tenure, posting a 12-21 record and throwing more interceptions (25) than touchdowns (23). The Saleh-Douglas tandem was retained to oversee another overhaul at the QB spot, with Rodgers being acquired via trade from the Packers last offseason.

That move (which has been followed by a number of other ones aimed at accommodating the four-time MVP’s wishes) was aimed at providing stability under center to complement a roster seen as having a number of capable producers at several other positions. That includes the likes of Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Jermaine Johnson and Breece Hall. Each of those players were selected in the 2022 draft, and they profile as long-term building blocks for Douglas’ successor to inherit. Still, the failure of the Jets to find an effective solution at the QB spot under Douglas will form much of his legacy.

Rodgers has been in place for 2024, but – despite swinging a deal for Davante Adams ahead of the deadline and working out an agreement which ended the much-maligned Haason Reddick holdout – the Jets sit at 3-8. Rodgers’ future for next season is in the air, and it remains to be seen who will be in place as the team’s head coach and general manager by that time. Johnson may also have another ambassador position in place once the 2025 campaign begins, something which could accelerate the timing of hiring decisions on the sidelines and/or in the front office.

Overall, Douglas will depart the Jets with a record of 30-64. Each of his five full campaigns ended with a losing record, and that will likely be the case for 2024 as well. The Jets’ postseason drought has continued under his supervision, and ending it will be a top priority for whomever Johnson brings in for 2025 and beyond. Douglas’ attention will likely focus on a return to scouting or a player personnel role with his next organization; given his run in charge of the Jets, another GM opportunity should not be expected to be on the horizon.

Joe Douglas Fallout: Jets, Johnson, Rodgers, Saleh, Brown, Ravens

November 19th, 2024 at 8:50pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Jets’ firing of general manager Joe Douglas was not necessarily a surprise given the team’s struggles during his tenure, but Tuesday’s announcement still felt unusual with six games remaining in the season. Douglas’ contract was set to expire after the 2025 season, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, giving New York a natural transition point as they attempt to rebuild from a disastrous two years since trading for quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

However, Jets owner Woody Johnson grew impatient after his team dropped to 3-8 after giving up a fourth-quarter lead to the Colts in Week 11. Rather than wait until the offseason to find his next general manager, Johnson opted to fire Douglas so he could begin the search for a successor without any internal awkwardness, according to Cimini.

Johnson’s statement announcing Douglas’ departure included a note that the team “will begin the process to identify a new General Manager immediately,” though the Jets cannot interview any external candidates until the end of the regular season. Here is the latest coming out of the Jets’ GM firing:

Douglas’ days were clearly numbered when he was cut out of Johnson’s decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh in October. The fact that Douglas lasted more than a month longer than Saleh surprised some in New York, per Cimini. Since the team was openly pursuing Davante Adams while trying to resolve Haason Reddick‘s holdout, the Jets may have wanted to keep Douglas around for appearance’s sake until those moves were finalized.
However, Douglas “lost most of his authority” after Saleh’s firing, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz, with other Jets executives handling negotiations with the Raiders and Reddick, both of which had stalled under Douglas. Since stepping back from his duties, Douglas “had become disenchanted in recent weeks,” per Cimini, “hoping a miracle turnaround might change things.”
Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown could be a candidate to become the Jets’ next general manager, according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. Brown interviewed for the Raiders’ GM gig during the offseason and turned down a request from the Patriots to interview for the same position. However, Johnson has largely listened to “nonfootball yes men” as the Jets’ owner, with outside criticism driving too much of the team’s direction, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Johnson ponied up a six-year, $20MM contract to secure Douglas to lead the front office in 2019, but money will only go so far to lure a would-be general manager who wants to execute his own vision for the franchise’s future.
Johnson even suggested benching Rodgers after a 10-9 loss to the Broncos in Week 4, per Zach Rosenblatt and Diana Russini of The Athletic. Douglas and the coaching staff had to convince Johnson to stay the course with Rodgers to avoid embarrassing the mercurial quarterback and upsetting the locker room.
Douglas’ next career move could be returning to Baltimore, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. He began his front office career as a Ravens scout in 2000 and remained in the team’s personnel department until the Bears hired him as director of college scouting in 2015. Douglas still enjoys a solid reputation in Baltimore, and he drafted several excellent young players in New York, including Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner, Jermaine Johnson, Breece Hall, and Michael Clemons all in 2022.
With their owner cleaning house and questions circling around Rodgers’ future in New York, the Jets’ locker room has “checked out,” according to SNY’s Connor Hughes. “Players aren’t angry or annoyed at their 3-8 record. They’re, as one person described, “just ready for it to be over.”

Jets GM Joe Douglas On Future With Team, Robert Saleh Dismissal; Latest On Owner Woody Johnson

November 10th, 2024 at 12:10pm CST by Rory Parks

At his midseason press conference on Wednesday, which lasted less than 10 minutes (h/t Rich Cimini of ESPN.com), GM Joe Douglas offered a few terse, notable non-answers with respect to owner Woody Johnson’s decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh without Douglas’ input.

When asked whether he agreed with Johnson’s call, Douglas did not answer directly. He merely said that he had nothing more to add to the conversation and that, “I serve at the pleasure of the owner” (per Brian Costello of the New York Post, Douglas and Saleh enjoyed a close relationship, and Costello believes it unlikely that Douglas would have recommended Saleh’s dismissal).

In the immediate aftermath of Saleh’s ouster — which Cimini says upset some players — it was reported that Douglas would at least survive the current season. However, 2024 is the last year of his contract, and unless the 3-6 Jets surge to a playoff berth, it would be surprising if Douglas is retained for 2025. While he does have some highlights on his resume, the 30-62 record he has compiled over his five-plus seasons at the top of Gang Green’s front office and the abject failure of his Zach Wilson selection would likely be too much to overcome if New York does not qualify for the postseason.

That said, he indicated he is still hopeful that the Jets can make a playoff push, and he cited his club’s improved performance in a Halloween win over the Texans as reason for optimism. When asked about his own job security, he said, “I come in here every day, just do whatever I can to help this team reach its goals and get to its destination. Whatever happens, happens” (via Cimini).

In addition to the win-now acquisition of wide receiver Davante Adams — which, per Cimini, was done with an eye towards improving the locker room culture as well as the on-field product — Douglas followed through on a trade of fellow wideout Mike Williams, securing a fifth-round pick in a draft (2025) that he may not get to oversee. Douglas signed Williams to a one-year, $10MM deal this offseason, and he indicated during his presser that Williams’ inability to get on the field during spring work and for a portion of training camp undermined his Jets’ tenure.

“Not being part … of OTAs, not being able to be part of a majority of training camp, just could never really get that synched up,” Douglas said (via Costello). “This is a great opportunity for him to have a fresh start. It’s a move that we wouldn’t have made had we not felt good about the guys we have in the room. Us acquiring a player like Davante gives us the flexibility if a team wants to be aggressive to acquire a player like Mike, we can do that.”

When Saleh was hired, Johnson was serving as the ambassador to the United Kingdom for then-President Donald Trump. His brother, Christopher Johnson, worked with Douglas in running the HC search and bringing Saleh aboard.

Following Trump’s recent re-election, many believe Woody Johnson will again depart the team to return to the U.K. or to accept a different appointment, as Costello reports in a separate piece (a report that Ian Rapoport of NFL.com echoes). However, such an appointment would likely not happen until Johnson has had time to make a decision on Douglas’ future, set a budget, and hire the team’s next permanent head coach. Christopher Johnson would then step back in to oversee day-to-day operations.

Jets Rumors: 2024 Season, Reddick, Williams

October 18th, 2024 at 10:04pm CST by Ely Allen

At 2-4, this is not where the Jets thought they would be at this point of the 2024 NFL season. With so many glaring issues on the team that point to that record, one isn’t wrong to wonder why New York would make the big move to trade for wide receiver Davante Adams that they made this week. According to Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports, the answer is pretty simple.

It’s all or nothing for many important figures in the Jets organization this season. The team has already parted ways with former head coach Robert Saleh, and if things don’t improve, interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich and general manager Joe Douglas won’t be far behind him. To date, the Jets are 29-60 with Douglas as GM and have yet to make the playoffs with him at the helm. Add in the fact that quarterback Aaron Rodgers may not want to be playing next year at 42 years old, and there’s a chance New York will be home to a new head coach, GM, and quarterback in 2025.

All of this is on the table with an unsuccessful 2024 campaign, so everyone in New York is all-in on whatever it takes to win this season. When Saleh’s head was the first to roll, it became clear that drastic changes were needed in order for the rest of the crew to retain their jobs. If that means kowtowing to Rodgers and trading for his favorite receiver from their time in Green Bay, it appears that that’s what will happen. As evidence, a serious offer for Adams reportedly didn’t even come until after Saleh was let go, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

Here are a few other rumors from the Jets in recent days:

The Jets have been actively shopping pass rusher Haason Reddick after trading for him this offseason. They may be a bit selective on where he goes, though. Breer points out that, should New York trade Reddick to an NFC team, the pick conditional pick that they sent to the Eagles for him goes from a third-round pick to a second-rounder. As much as they’d like to wash their hands of the situation, the pick difference is severe enough that they’re likely being picky about how they deal Reddick.
Another potential trade piece after the acquisition of Adams, it appears that wide receiver Mike Williams will play this weekend against the Steelers, per Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York. Ulbrich made the announcement today after Williams was a full participant at practice.

Jets GM Joe Douglas Not On Hot Seat?

October 10th, 2024 at 3:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Robert Saleh‘s firing (or at least the timing of the decision) came as a surprise to many inside the Jets’ organization, and it has led to speculation about further changes being on the horizon. For the time being, though, general manager Joe Douglas appears to be safe.

The 2023 season was marred by offensive struggles, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers‘ Week 1 Achilles tear resulted in ownership giving the franchise’s key decision-makers a mulligan. Five weeks into the current season, Saleh has been dismissed and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett has been stripped of play-calling duties. Plenty of attention will therefore turn to the performances of interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich and passing came coordinator Todd Downing as the season unfolds.

Douglas was among the key personnel who avoided the threat of being fired after last season. Another campaign out of the playoffs would of course result in increased pressure for a front office change, but as things stand one does not appear imminent. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes owner Woody Johnson holds Douglas and Ulbrich in high regard, and they will have a 12-game audition period to create the possibility of remaining as a tandem for next year. As Fowler notes, Douglas’ contract will expire after the 2024 campaign, so his job security could change over the coming weeks.

After a lengthy tenure serving as a Ravens scout, Douglas spent a single season as the Bears’ college scouting director. That was followed by a stint as the VP of player personnel in Philadelphia and then, in 2019, his current position at the helm of the Jets. Douglas’ tenure consists of a 29-59 record with his rebuilding efforts being set back by multiple failed quarterback draft investments. The Rodgers trade acquisition was aimed at immediate contention, but after a 7-10 season (largely without him available) and a 2-3 start to the current campaign, improvement will be needed moving forward to meet that goal.

Fowler reports Johnson had “concerns” about Saleh’s leadership, adding tension was believed to exist between the fourth-year coach and the Jets. While that issue did not rise to the level of a mutiny being possible, players were known to be frustrated by the team’s consistent struggles on offense. Johnson was serving as the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom when Saleh was hired, a factor which no doubt impacted his thought process before singularly deciding to replace him with Ulbrich.

The latter will be tasked with overseeing improvement on offense with Downing calling plays. Reaching the postseason would help their respective job securities while also boosting Douglas’ chances of remaining in place for a seventh season as general manager.

Jets Fallout: Johnson, Douglas, Saleh, Hackett, Rodgers, Ulbrich

October 8th, 2024 at 9:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jets’ decision to fire Robert Saleh five games into his fourth season “blindsided” the well-liked but embattled HC, and the call did not involve Saleh’s football ops partner.

Jets ownership went around GM Joe Douglas when making this call, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Zack Rosenblatt report. The sixth-year New York GM was not involved in the decision to fire Saleh, and Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager reports Douglas was not in the meeting in which the coach was informed the team was ending his tenure. This certainly casts some doubt about Douglas’ long-term future with the Jets.

Woody Johnson is contradicting this part of the Saleh fallout, indicating Tuesday he did consult with Douglas on the firing. The owner, however, said (via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo) the decision to let Saleh go — the first in-season Jets HC firing since 1975 — was his alone. Johnson has now fired Saleh, Rex Ryan and Eric Mangini. Buying the Jets in 2000, Johnson saw Al Groh resign; he then traded Herm Edwards‘ rights to the Chiefs in 2006 and was serving as the United States’ ambassador to the United Kingdom when Todd Bowles was fired (under brother and acting owner Christopher Johnson). Christopher joined Woody in the firing meeting with Saleh on Tuesday.

Russisi and Rosenblatt add a lack of accountability on the offensive side of the ball did not sit well with the Jets’ defensive players. New York ranks second in total defense this season and fifth in points allowed per game; that contrasts greatly with the team’s offensive output (18.6 points per game, 25th in the NFL). Struggles of a similar nature were of course present throughout last season, and continued issues with offense led to questions regarding offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett‘s job security.

The former Packers OC (who spent time in Green Bay during part of Aaron Rodgers‘ tenure there) endured a disastrous stint as head coach of the Broncos in 2022, being fired before his debut Denver campaign had even ended. That was followed by Hackett’s Jets hire, a move which ultimately allowed him to reunite with Rodgers. Things have not gone according to plan in New York, however, with the 44-year-old play-caller taking repeated criticism.

Indeed, the Athletic report notes Hackett does not have much support amongst players or coaches at this point. SNY’s Connor Hughes adds Woody Johnson has been critical over the past few weeks in particular. During a rain-soaked home game against the Broncos, the Jets managed only nine points in a low-scoring loss. That was followed by Sunday’s London contest, during which New York trailed 17-0 at one point. As of now, Hackett’s job is safe, although interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich noted on Tuesday all elements of the offense will be under evaluation (h/t ESPN’s Rich Cimini).

Given the fact the Jets only trail the Bills by one game in the division, along with their continued success on defense, today’s firing was not expected by any party outside of ownership. Hughes reports members of management along with coaches and players were “stunned” by Saleh’s dismissal (video link). That sentiment will no doubt linger if the team continues to struggle on offense over the coming weeks. The unit’s recent struggles were not solely responsible for today’s move, though.

When speaking to the media, Johnson noted (via Cimini’s colleague Kimberley A. Martin) the past two losses were not the only driving factor in his decision to move on from Saleh. He expressed confidence in Ulbrich’s ability to guide the team toward the postseason in 2024, something which would end the franchise’s 13-year playoff drought. Given the talent level on the roster, that remains the expectation.

Johnson said he views the 2024 Jets as the best of his ownership tenure, adding the current iteration is “one of the most talented teams ever assembled” in the organization’s history (h/t Brian Costello of the New York Post and Garafolo’s colleague Ian Rapoport). Slight improvement in terms of offensive efficiency would give New York at least a strong chance at a wild-card berth, particularly if the defense were to remain healthy. On that note, Rodgers’ status given his knee injury suffered in Week 5 and his low ankle sprain from Sunday will of course be worth monitoring closely.

The relationship between Rodgers and Saleh had remained a talking point throughout the 2024 campaign, although the four-time MVP recently offered public assurances things were not strained between the two. Veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports the partnership was indeed in a good place at the time of today’s decision. Given Rodgers’ major influence on organizational decisions, though, many have speculated he had a hand in Saleh (rather than Hackett) being the one dismissed. Johnson said (via Martin) he and Rodgers spoke last night, but not about any potential coaching changes. He repeated the move was his alone, stating Rodgers had no say in the matter (h/t Cimini).

As could be expected, Schultz adds that Ulbrich will have the opportunity to earn the head coaching gig on a full-time basis. How the next 12 games play out will determine his candidacy, but he takes on the current role with a strong reputation inside the organization. As players, staffers and management alike seek to move forward from the surprise of Saleh’s firing, Ulbrich will face high expectations over the remainder of the campaign.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Jets GM Joe Douglas Is In Final Year Of Contract

September 8th, 2024 at 8:19am CST by Rory Parks

Jets general manager Joe Douglas is, like head coach Robert Saleh, widely believed to be on the hot seat this season. Underscoring that reality is the fact that Douglas has just one year remaining on his contract, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.

Regardless of contractual situation, Douglas’ future with Gang Green would likely be dictated by the club’s performance this season. After all, New York is 27-56 during his time at the helm, and while some of that record can be chalked up to the expected growing pains of a rebuild and poor injury luck, GMs and head coaches generally do not survive too long without at least a playoff appearance.

Douglas signed a six-year deal with the Jets in June 2019, and since that time, he has certainly added plenty of talent to the roster. That includes a celebrated 2022 draft class that featured Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Jermaine Johnson, and Breece Hall, and the Saleh hire has paid major dividends on the defensive side of the ball: over the past two seasons, New York has finished in the top-four in total defense.

Still, the long-term success of a franchise will be driven largely by quarterback play, and that is where the Jets have failed. Douglas’ decision to use the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft on Zach Wilson, despite Wilson’s unusual prospect profile, proved to be a disastrous decision that Douglas tried to correct by acquiring then-39-year-old Aaron Rodgers last year.

The fact that Rodgers suffered a season-ending ankle injury four snaps into the 2023 season, which thrust Wilson back into the starting lineup and torpedoed the fortunes of a seemingly playoff-worthy outfit, essentially gave Douglas and Saleh a reprieve. But owner Woody Johnson made it clear that, while he is not one to issue a “playoffs-or-bust” mandate, he is expecting a strong showing in the upcoming campaign.

“[Douglas and Saleh have] seen me about as mad as I could be with what was going on with the offense particularly,” Johnson said in February. “We’ve got all this talent and we’ve got to deploy talent properly. So I think they all got the message. This is it, this is the time to go. We’ve got to produce this year, we have to produce this year.”

If the Jets do not, in fact, produce, then Douglas and Saleh will likely be seeking new employment, with Douglas’ contract making it even easier for Johnson to make the call on his oft-scrutinized GM. For what it’s worth, Rapoport says that Douglas is comfortable with his lame-duck status, perhaps because he believes he is a healthy Rodgers season away from securing a new deal.

Jets Notes: Wilson, OL, Odunze, Hardman

May 5th, 2024 at 10:06pm CST by Rory Parks

The Jets brought an end to Zach Wilson‘s disappointing New York tenure when they traded their former No. 2 overall selection for a mere pick swap on Day 3 of last month’s draft. According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Wilson’s camp was, in the run-up to the 2021 draft, deeply worried about Gang Green’s history of failure to develop young quarterbacks and how that would impact Wilson’s own career, but the BYU product was convinced he would be the player to buck that trend.

Of course, that was not the case, and Wilson will now try to resurrect his career in Denver. Per Cimini, one of the lessons that the Jets learned from the Wilson experience is that, regardless of the round in which they draft a QB in the future, they will want to give that player legitimate competition for his role and, preferably, the opportunity to learn on the sidelines (benefits that were not afforded to Wilson).

GM Joe Douglas also said prior to the 2024 draft that, “I’d love to be a quarterback factory,” referencing the 1990s Packers that selected QBs in the later rounds of a draft, developed them, and flipped them for new draft capital down the road. To that end, the Jets selected Florida State passer Jordan Travis in the fifth round of the 2024 draft. Travis sustained an ankle injury in November that prematurely ended his final collegiate season, though he is expected to be healed by the start of training camp.

Travis will be learning behind newly-signed backup Tyrod Taylor and QB1 Aaron Rodgers, whose success will drive the Jets’ fortunes in 2024. Blocking for that group of passers will be rookie OT Olu Fashanu, whom New York selected with the No. 11 overall pick of the draft. As Cimini details in a separate piece, Fashanu is not expected to start right away thanks to the recent additions of Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses, but since both veterans will be on modified offseason programs, Fashanu will get plenty of reps at both left and right tackle during the spring and summer (Douglas suggested that Fashanu could even get looks on the interior, as Cimini relays).

The Jets did have the No. 10 pick in the 2024 draft, but they traded down one spot and selected Fashanu once Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze went off the board to the Bears, who held the No. 9 selection. That suggests that Odunze was New York’s preferred target, and though Douglas would not confirm as much, Cimini says that the Jets did try to trade up for the former Huskies pass catcher.

The club did eventually land a receiver when it nabbed Western Kentucky talent Malachi Corley in the third round. As Adam Caplan of Pro Football Network writes, some teams viewed Corley as a slot-only option, though the Jets plan to get him some reps outside the numbers as well. The club is clearly high on his ability, with Cimini reporting that Douglas started making calls about a possible trade-up to take Corley when the Packers were on the clock with the No. 45 selection. Ultimately, Douglas got his man with the No. 65 pick. Head coach Robert Saleh concedes that Corley will need to refine his route-running, but he is excited to find creative ways to use him (via Cimini).

Speaking of wide receivers, the Jets never levied tampering charges against the Chiefs for Kansas City’s pursuit of Mecole Hardman, as Cimini reported back in March. Hardman, a second-round pick of the Chiefs in 2019, signed with the Jets in the 2023 offseason. But after Rodgers was lost for the season four snaps into the 2023 opener, the Jets’ offense was in shambles, and Hardman later acknowledged during an appearance on Ryan Clark‘s The Pivot podcast that he begged Chiefs brass to “come get me” (via Cimini).

The Jets traded Hardman back to KC in October, and Douglas admitted that Hardman’s comments to Clark “resonated with us” (meaning, presumably, that the Jets may have considered tampering charges at some point).

Jets Owner Woody Johnson Talks HC/GM Hot Seat, Offensive Struggles, Rodgers

February 9th, 2024 at 10:45am CST by Ben Levine

FEBRUARY 9: When speaking to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, Johnson noted that Saleh will “concentrate” on the team’s offense this season (video link). That is notable given the latter’s background on defense, and the continued presence of much-maligned OC Nathaniel Hackett. Johnson praised defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich as well as New York’s special teams units, doubling down on the team’s abundant need for offensive improvement. It will interesting to see what alterations could be made with Saleh committing more time and attention to that side of the ball.

FEBRUARY 8: Following their offseason acquisition of Aaron Rodgers, the Jets had high hopes heading into the 2023 campaign. Those hopes were dashed when Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles injury on his fourth snap. The Jets still managed to finish the season with seven wins, but a five-game midseason losing streak revealed some major cracks in the foundation.

While owner Woody Johnson gave both head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas a vote of endorsement following the 2023 season, the duo won’t be completely excused for the team’s underwhelming performance. While speaking with reporters during tonight’s NFL Honors, Johnson seemed to hint that the HC/GM duo will be on the hot seat heading into the 2024 campaign.

“They’ve seen me about as mad as I could be with what was going on with the offense particularly,” Johnson said (via Adam H. Beasley of ProFootballNetwork.com). “We’ve got all this talent and we’ve got to deploy talent properly. So I think they all got the message.

“This is it, this is the time to go. We’ve got to produce this year, we have to produce this year.”

The Jets are 16-32 under Saleh, and the organization has gone 25-55 with Douglas leading the front office. While Johnson admitted that he’s not a “playoff mandate (guy),” he is counting on his coach and GM to improve on their seven-win campaign (via Costello).

During his conversation with reporters, Johnson seemed to express specific disappointment in the offense in 2023. He even took a clear shot at former second-overall pick Zach Wilson, stating that the team needs a backup quarterback since they “didn’t have one last year” (via Brian Costello of the New York Post). Johnson also pointed to the offensive line when asked about the team’s overall plan for success in 2024.

“We need to keep the quarterback vertical,” Johnson said (via Beasley). “It’s really all about the offense. For the last five years, it’s been about the offense. The offense has to score, keep the defense off the field.

“Defense is good, but we got, I think we were developing a really good plan for free agency and the draft, coaching trying to get the offense, so we have a balance, more of a balance, a balance on offense. We run the ball better in the red zone. A change in our practice schedule? We’re looking at everything. So we know we know what we can’t do, so now we got to do it.”

The owner also made it clear that he’s counting on Rodgers to return to top form. When asked if the Jets could close the gap between themselves and the top of the division, Johnson pointed directly at his veteran QB.

“Yeah. I think we can close it with Aaron Rodgers, yeah for sure,” he said (via Beasley). “We’ve got a very good defense. If we can do anything on offense. I mean, we won games without scoring a touchdown. That’s absolutely incredible.”

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