Logo

One of the most disappointing seasons in Jets history claimed another victim on Tuesday.

The Jets fired general manager Joe Douglas with six games remaining in the season.

This comes after owner Woody Johnson fired head coach Robert Saleh on Oct. 8.

Douglas has been the Jets GM since June 2019, when he replaced Mike Maccagnan.


  Joe Douglas is out in his sixth season as the team’s GM. AP Joe Douglas is out in his sixth season as the team’s GM. AP

Douglas’ time with the Jets will be remembered for some strong draft picks, but more for his failure to turn the team around and the drafting of Zach Wilson with the No. 2 pick in 2021.

The Jets were 30-64 on Douglas’ watch and did not have a winning season or end the team’s playoff drought, which looks like it will stretch to 14 years.

Douglas did not have a contract for 2025 and it has long been believed he would not be brought back for next season.

Sources said Johnson made the decision after Sunday’s loss to the Colts that Douglas would not be brought back and decided to get a start on the search for a new GM and coach.

Phil Savage, who was one of Douglas’ lieutenants, will be the interim GM. Savage was the Browns GM from 2005-08.

“Today, I informed Joe Douglas he will no longer serve as the general manager of the New York Jets,” 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.”

The writing has been on the wall for Douglas for a while.

It has been clear that Douglas would need a miraculous run to save his job since the Saleh firing.


  The Jets have now fired GM Joe Douglas (l.) and head coach Robert Saleh (r.) this season. Bill Kostroun/New York Post The Jets have now fired GM Joe Douglas (l.) and head coach Robert Saleh (r.) this season. Bill Kostroun/New York Post

Johnson did not consult Douglas before firing Saleh, who was Douglas’ choice as coach in 2021.

Douglas oversaw the trade for Davante Adams and getting Haason Reddick to end his holdout, but sources said Johnson was heavily involved.

When the Jets lost their last two games, it become clear there would be no miracle run to the playoffs.

The Jets’ slim hopes ended with Sunday’s 28-27 loss to the Colts dropped them to 3-8.


  Jets general manager Joe Douglas speaks to the media. Bill Kostroun/New York Post Jets general manager Joe Douglas speaks to the media. Bill Kostroun/New York Post

The Jets entered this season with Super Bowl aspirations after Douglas assembled a roster that Johnson said was the best he’s had in his 25 years of owning the team.

But the Jets have never found any identity on offense and the defense took a step back.

The high point of Douglas’ tenure was the 2022 NFL Draft when he selected Defensive Rookie of the Year Sauce Gardner and Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson as well as Jermaine Johnson and Breece Hall.

He did not have as much success in his first two drafts, and misses such as Mekhi Becton, Denzel Mims and Elijah Moore hurt him.

Douglas made a big move in April 2023 when he traded for veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The move ultimately failed, though, after Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury in the first game of the 2023 season and then stumbled through this season.


  Jets owner Woody Johnson speaking with Ira Akselrad on the field. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post Jets owner Woody Johnson speaking with Ira Akselrad on the field. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

By moving on from Douglas now, the Jets can begin their search for a new GM and coach. It would have been unseemly for them to begin that with Douglas still employed.

The Jets can begin speaking to candidates who are not currently employed by NFL teams and compile their list and do their research on candidates who are currently working in the league and can be interviewed after the season.

There are a few big questions that will now loom over the Jets:

• Who will oversee the search? Will it be Johnson? Will he hire an outside consultant?

• What is Johnson’s role with the team moving forward? He served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2017-21 in Donald Trump’s first term as President. Many believe he will be offered that position or a similar one in Trump’s new administration. If he leaves, it likely would not be until next summer. Would he still oversee this offseason? Would Christopher Johnson, his brother, oversee the team as he did when Woody Johnson was gone the last time? Any GM or head coach candidate will want to know who they will be working for.

• What becomes of Rodgers? He said last week he’d like to keep playing next season, but it is hard to envision him being part of the 2025 Jets with a new regime. The Jets are likely to cut Rodgers in the offseason.

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy