General Manager Joe Douglas of the New York Jets has been fired by the team’s owner, Woody Johnson. This comes just a month and a half after the NY Jets let go of head coach Robert Saleh. In an official statement by the NFL team, he will be replaced by senior football adviser Phil Savage as interim GM while the Jets enters their bye week with a poor win-loss record. Here’s a breakdown of why GM Joe Douglas was fired.
Why was Joe Douglas, New York Jets General Manager, fired?
On its face, Joe Douglas was fired because the New York Jets are struggling in the 2024 NFL season with the team having a 3-8 record so far. However, some are pointing to the poor performance of quarterback Aaron Rodgers as part of the reason for his firing.
As reported by ESPN, Douglas was not consulted when Saleh was fired in early October, indicating that he was possibly on the chopping block as well. Hired in June 2019, Douglas is in the last year of a six-year contract and was expected to be a free agent by the end of the 2024 season.
During his tenure with the team, the Jets had a subpar 30-64 record with no winning season and no playoff appearances. Because of the team’s performance this year, Douglas wasn’t expected to return to New York in 2025, per NFL.com.
According to a piece in USA Today by Robert Zeglinski, his firing was not a surprise. Both Saleh and Douglas believed that Hall of Famer Rodgers was a solid pick in 2023, but he sustained an achilles injury that same year and has struggled in his comeback. He hasn’t thrown 300 yards in a game in this season and has a passer rating that is about as low as when he was with the Green Bay Packers in 2005 and 2006.
The Jets also struggled with its 2021 pick of QB Zach Wilson, who is now with the Denver Broncos. And the Hail Mary choice of Rodgers sadly hasn’t panned out.
