Jets Expected To Target Experience In GM, HC Searches
Since Bill Parcells stepped down nearly 25 years ago, the Jets have leaned toward first-time head coaches. Woody Johnson‘s ownership tenure has featured seven HC hires; only one has been a retread. As they navigate another disappointing season and the slew of negative press that has come with it, the Jets look to be aiming in different direction.
Gang Green wants experience at both the HC and GM spots, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Although second-chance GMs are not overly common in today’s NFL (only two — Tom Telesco, Trent Baalke — are currently in place), retread HCs are.
[RELATED: Woody Johnson-Aaron Rodgers Drama Overblown?]
Thus far in Johnson’s tenure, only one (Adam Gase) signed on to be the Jets’ HC. And that came while Christopher Johnson was serving as acting owner. One experienced HC candidate, however, has thrown his hat in the ring already. Eager to return to the league, ESPN’s Rex Ryan — the Jets’ HC from 2009-14 — wants to return to the Jets. Ryan has not coached since the Bills fired him late in his second season.
With Woody Johnson still mentioned as returning to his role as ambassador to the United Kingdom during the second Donald Trump administration, Christopher may need to play a central role in another hire. Christopher was in charge when the Jets hired Gase (2019) and Robert Saleh (2021), but Woody will lead the searches now. The Jets want to launch their GM search now, per Jones, though they cannot interview any HC or GM candidates currently on NFL staffs until the regular season ends. For the most part, that will stall searches.
Although Jones adds the Jets are likely to have an advisor helping steer these hires without going as far as using a search firm, the obvious question of HC/GM aspirants’ willingness to work for the franchise comes up. Woody Johnson impeded since-fired GM Joe Douglas at many stops. He was believed to have blocked a substantial effort to add a quarterback following Aaron Rodgers‘ Achilles tear last year; a year later, the owner suggested Saleh’s staff bench the four-time MVP after Week 4. Johnson also stonewalled Douglas on a Jerry Jeudy trade and meddled on the Bryce Huff and Haason Reddick contract fronts.
This has not been a good year for Johnson, whose team will undoubtedly extend the longest active NFL playoff drought to 14 seasons soon. A habit of listening to non-football staffers has added to Johnson’s list of shortcomings, and Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline adds the 77-year-old owner is not well regarded in most aspects around the league. The consensus in the aftermath of the Douglas ouster has been for the criticized owner to hire a presence to check his meddling, but staffers around the NFL do not expect Jets ownership to cede that much power.
As Douglas had expressed a disenchantment with Johnson for years, per Pauline, the Jets may need to dole out a higher salary to replace their six-year GM. The team is believed to be prepared to pay well, Jones adds, but it certainly would surprise if this job was at the top of most candidates’ lists. Rodgers boosting the Jets to a worse draft pick would also hinder the next set of Jet decision-makers, though it is now viewed as likely the team sits its high-profile QB — via IR or a straight-up benching — soon ahead of an expected 2025 divorce.
Woody Johnson’s anticipated departure for an ambassador post would stand to help mitigate the meddling issues that have resurfaced in recent days, but Christopher Johnson is not exactly a highly regarded football presence, either. The Jets will be tasked with adding another quarterback to lead what is still viewed as a talented roster.
The latter component will be a top selling point for the Johnsons, who have failed on the QB front with both veterans (Rodgers, Brett Favre) and with every rookie prospect — save for some early-career Mark Sanchez work — since Chad Pennington. After a wildly disappointing season, how Jets ownership goes about convincing quality HC and GM candidates to sign up will be one of the offseason carousels’ top storylines.
Aaron Rodgers-Woody Johnson Drama ‘Overblown’
Jets owner Woody Johnson‘s decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas in back-to-back months has painted a picture of a dysfunctional franchise rife with drama in the front office and the locker room.
However, reports of tension between Johnson and Aaron Rodgers are “overblown,” according to FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz, despite a recent bombshell that Johnson suggested benching his star quarterback earlier this season. The two have remained in communication throughout the recent turmoil with both men disappointed in the team’s performance thus far this season.
After losing all of the 2023 season due to an Achilles tear, Rodgers has struggled to stay fully healthy this year, landing on the injury report several times due to issues with his hamstring, knee, and ankle. The mercurial quarterback has still started every game this season, playing 98% of the Jets’ offensive snaps to date.
However, it remains unclear exactly how banged up Rodgers is. He has refused medical scans on his leg injuries to avoid revealing their severity so he can keep playing, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. His September 29 hamstring injury “was believed to be a particularly significant one,” but the 40-year-old insisted that it was not significant and refused to consider taking a game off to recover. A stint on injured reserve has been floated as a way to force Rodgers to heal from his injuries while allowing him to save face publicly.
Rodgers’ injury struggles in New York – which have led to one of the worst statistical seasons of his career – have stirred doubt about his future as a Jet. As recently as November 14, Rodgers has confirmed his desire to play in 2025, though he was noncommittal about returning to the Jets for a third season. He reportedly desires a more stable situation, which has not been applicable to the Jets for several years. However, it is fair to wonder how much Rodgers contributed to the Jets’ instability over the past two years, between the arduous process for his acquisition, his subsequent influence over team personnel decisions, and his struggles to remain healthy.
Most signs are pointing to a mutual parting of ways after this season, with league executives predicting that the Jets will designated Rodgers as a post-June 1 release during the offseason, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. The team’s new head coach and/or general manager may prefer to move on from Rodgers and look for a new quarterback around whom they can rebuild. Rodgers would then be a 41-year-old free agent coming off the worst two-year stretch of his career and may not draw as much interest compared to when he wanted to leave Green Bay.
Aaron Rodgers Benching Or IR Stint ‘Appears Increasingly Likely’
The Jets are expected to move on from Aaron Rodgers ahead of the 2025 campaign. However, there’s a chance the quarterback doesn’t even stick on the active roster through the end of the 2024 season.
[RELATED: Jets Likely To Move On From Aaron Rodgers In 2025]
Dianna Russini of The Athletic writes that the team is considering multiple options regarding Rodgers’ roster status. While no decision has been made, Russini says it “appears increasingly likely” that the quarterback could be benched for the stretch run of the season. The Jets could also help Rodgers save face by placing the veteran on injured reserve. After suffering his season-ending Achilles tear in 2023, the 40-year-old has dealt with hamstring, knee, and ankle injuries this season, so an IR stint wouldn’t be completely unfounded.
There are even some around the NFL who wouldn’t be surprised if the Jets simply cut Rodgers before the end of the 2024 season. The financial implications of such a move would make this route unlikely. In addition to his untenable (albeit prorated) $66MM dead cap hit for 2024, the Jets would also be hit with a $25.5MM charge for the 2025 campaign. If the Jets were to designate Rodgers as a post-June 1 cut, then the front office could actually realize some savings (around $9.5MM of cap relief). While a divorce seems inevitable, there’s really no benefit to the Jets being hasty and moving on now.
The Jets’ disappointing 2024 campaign has naturally led to both sides seeking fresh starts. It also sounds like the broken relationship between Rodgers and owner Woody Johnson may also be playing a role. We heard earlier this week that Johnson suggested benching the franchise star earlier this season, and Russini says the owner has “lost confidence” in Rodgers’ ability to guide the franchise to the postseason. On the other side, Rodgers’ relationship with Johnson has been “strained for months,” and while the quarterback intends to play in 2025, he isn’t enthusiastic about returning to the Jets.
If the Jets do bench Rodgers for the final chunk of games in 2024, then Tyrod Taylor would be the logical fill-in for the organization. What isn’t so clear is who would replace Rodgers in 2025. Russini points to Russell Wilson or a reunion with Sam Darnold, although the reporter is skeptical that either QB will leave their current situation. Russini also notes that Justin Fields, Daniel Jones, and previous target Derek Carr will likely be available, but none of those options provide much hope for contention.
Rex Ryan Wants To Coach Jets Again
Despite being fired as the Jets’ head coach in 2014, Rex Ryan wants to return to his former job under owner Woody Johnson.
Johnson fired Robert Saleh at the beginning of October after a 2-3 start to the season despite managing seven wins in 2023 after Aaron Rodgers played just four snaps before tearing his Achilles.
Ryan made his pitch on an ESPN New York radio show with ex-Jets linebacker Bart Scott, via ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio. Ryan was originally asked about Lions head coach Dan Campbell before pivoting into a passionate pitch to return to his old job in New York.
“I had a vision for the team and we weren’t gonna take any s—,” Ryan said. “And that’s exactly how Dan Campbell is. And that’s what I think, the other thing is, too, get a guy that connects with the fan base and all that. That’s why I want to be the next coach of the Jets.”
From there, Ryan took off, promising that he would get the most out of the Jets’ roster and backing Johnson despite recent reports of the owner’s meddling in the team’s personnel decisions.
“Blow it up? We’re gonna blow the opponents up,” Ryan said. “There’s way too much talent on this team to play the way we’ve been playing. Period.”
Ryan isn’t wrong about the untapped potential in New York. Recently fired general manager Joe Douglas may have only led the Jets to a 30-64 record during his tenure, but he did hit on a number of high draft picks. Most impressive is the 2022 class, with the Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year (Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner), a Pro Bowl edge rusher (Jermaine Johnson), a star running back (Breece Hall) and a Day 3 interior disruptor (Michael Clemons). 2023 draftees Will McDonald and Joe Tippmann have also emerged as solid starters.
Ryan also claimed that he can get a disillusioned Jets team back on track, saying “nobody’s seen a team gonna play the way — as hard as this team’s going to play in the future, trust me. If I’m the guy. Trust me.” Ryan also cited his continued loyalty to the Jets since his 2014 firing, saying that other coaches would not be as dedicated to the franchise.
“They ain’t New York Jets. I’m all about the Jets,” he said. “Here’s the great thing. Yeah, you get a second chance at it and that doesn’t happen very often. Well, when it does it’s usually special.”
Ryan then cleverly praised the Jets’ direction under Johnson’s ownership, appealing to his former boss’ penchant for relying on yes-men in key positions within the organization.
“Woody Johnson was awesome,” Ryan said. “I can just tell you firsthand from my perspective, he was fantastic. You know what he’s guilty of? He’s guilty of giving you what you want. And that’s exactly what happened with this group. He gave them exactly what they wanted.”
Ryan even defended Johnson’s role in the Jets’ ill-fated acquisition of Rodgers: “You told him to go get Aaron Rodgers. And so that’s what he did. And it never worked out. But at least he fired his gun. Why? Because he wants a championship.”
Ryan added that he has not reached out to Johnson about returning to the Jets since the franchise will not start the search for Saleh’s long-term successor until after the end of the regular season.
The Jets went 46-50 in Ryan’s six-year tenure, which included back-to-back AFC championship game appearances in 2009 and 2010. New York hasn’t played in the postseason since then, a fact that Ryan will likely use in his pursuit of his old gig.
Woody Johnson Nixed Jets Effort To Acquire Jerry Jeudy, Impeded Joe Douglas On Bryce Huff, Haason Reddick
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.
NFL Injury Updates: Evans, Mosley, Ravens
The Buccaneers have lost four games in a row, the last three without veteran wide receiver Mike Evans as he has dealt with a hamstring injury. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, Evans has returned to practice this week and plans to play this weekend against the Giants.
Without Evans, the team’s offense has struggled. Baker Mayfield failed to surpass 200 passing yards in each of the teams last two contests. Though fellow veteran wideout Chris Godwin remains on injured reserve likely until the postseason, Evans’ return should provide a boost to the passing game.
Though Evans was able to rack up six touchdowns in seven games, he’s been averaging the fewest yards per game of his career. Combined with the three-game absence, Evans is in danger of falling short of 1,000 receiving yards in a season for the first time in his 11-year career. He’ll 665 yards in Tampa Bay’s seven remaining games (an average of 95 yards per game) in order to keep his record streak alive.
Here are a couple other injury updates from around the NFL:
- Veteran Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley has now missed seven games this season. His first couple absences were due to a toe issue, but he has missed New York’s last four games with a herniated disc in his neck. Per Brian Costello of the New York Post, Mosley hopes to return after the team’s bye this week.
- The Ravens defense has been without veteran nose tackle Michael Pierce for the past three weeks as he sits on IR with a calf injury. According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, while the plan is for Pierce to return sometime this season, the team hasn’t set a timeline to bring him back. Additionally, Zrebiec gave an update on veteran cornerback Arthur Maulet, who didn’t make his 2024 season debut until Week 8 because of a knee injury that landed him IR-designated to return at the 53-man roster cut deadline. He missed last Sunday’s game against his former team in Pittsburgh with a calf injury, but Zrebiec claims that Maulet likely won’t need to join Pierce on IR.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/20/24
Wednesday’s practice squad moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: S Adrian Colbert
Detroit Lions
- Signed: S Kaevon Merriweather
- Released: CB Erick Hallett
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Alex McGough
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Myles Bryant, RB J.J. Taylor
- Released: T Cameron Erving, DE Rashad Weaver
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: RB Chris Collier, CB Keenan Isaac
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: S Emany Johnson
- Released: TE McCallan Castles
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Jordan Murray
New York Jets
- Signed: DT Bruce Hector
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DT Siaki Ika
- Released: WR Kyle Philips
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Jonathan Garvin
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Tyler Mabry, QB John Rhys Plumlee
Jets Fire GM Joe Douglas
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.
[RELATED: GM Lost Authority Following Saleh’s Firing]
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.
Jets Likely To Move On From Aaron Rodgers In 2025
This wildly disappointing Jets season has brought a gradual housecleaning, with Joe Douglas‘ exit the latest such move. The team’s attempt to load up its roster around Aaron Rodgers over the past two years has not worked, and the four-time MVP may soon be on his way out as well.
As the Jets are seeing their second blockbuster trade for a longtime Packers QB great fail, they are staring at perhaps another reset — albeit with some solid young pieces in place. Rodgers, who will turn 41 in December, may be more likely than not to be elsewhere once that overhaul commences.
[RELATED: Jeff Ulbrich Considering Play-Calling Change]
Nothing may be concrete just yet, but in the wake of the Douglas firing, SNY’s Connor Hughes reports the Jets would prefer to move on from Rodgers as well. Going further, a source told ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini it would be a “shock” if Rodgers was a Jet next year. Rodgers and Douglas shared a good relationship, Cimini adds, and the QB has advocated for interim HC Jeff Ulbrich. With a restart coming, the sides severing ties appears likely.
This news comes not long after a report indicated Rodgers’ post-2024 New York future was up in the air. Davante Adams expressed some rumored hesitation about Rodgers’ Big Apple future beyond this season; now, the All-Pro wideout is tied to a Jets team in transition. A separation might be mutual, as Rodgers has sought more stability than the Jets have provided.
Rodgers said recently he is leaning toward playing in 2025; this came months after the then-rehabbing QB said he was open to playing into his mid-40s. Based on his play this season, that seems unlikely to happen. While it would not be too hard to see teams pursuing him next year, the ex-Green Bay icon has not come remotely close to following in Peyton Manning and Tom Brady‘s footsteps in terms of success with a second team. Rodgers sits 24th in QBR and has not shown much of his early-2020s MVP form. Considering Rodgers did not fare too well in his final Green Bay season, it is worth wondering what a market would be for a 41-year-old quarterback not too far removed from Achilles surgery.
The Jets swapped first-round picks with the Packers for Rodgers in the April 2023 deal — in a trade that also saw two second-round picks going to the Packers — but sit 3-8 in the 20th-year veteran’s comeback season. Rodgers kept himself in headlines throughout last season by teasing a return from the Achilles tear, doing so despite the Jets struggling with Zach Wilson back at the helm. No comeback commenced, but Rodgers-generated headlines followed into the offseason.
The increasingly outspoken passer all but forced the Jets to retain Nathaniel Hackett as OC this offseason, despite Robert Saleh conducting a stealth push to curb the play-caller’s power by bringing in an assistant. With no title to offer, Saleh did not end up hiring a veteran to help/oversee Hackett, and Rodgers vouched again for the embattled assistant. Saleh planned to demote Hackett, and interim HC Ulbrich ultimately did. Todd Downing‘s transition to the play-calling role has not moved the needle. The Jets rank 26th in scoring and total offense; with Gang Green’s defense also regressing this season, the team is 1-5 under Ulbrich.
When the Jets separated from Brett Favre in 2009, they relinquished his rights due to a poison-pill provision effectively preventing the team from trading the future Hall of Famer to the Vikings. Favre ended up in Minnesota as a free agent, unretiring a second time. Rodgers teased retirement during his final Packers years and famously said he was 90% retired before his 2023 darkness retreat. Rodgers then OK’d a Jets trade, but the results have burned the downtrodden AFC East franchise, which brought in several of Rodgers’ former Packers teammates and coaches.
Due to signing bonus proration and void years on a 2023 Rodgers reworking, a $49MM dead cap hit would come if the Jets released him in 2025. This could be trimmed to just $14MM in the event of a post-June 1 cut. Even though the Broncos blazed new territory for dead money by cutting Russell Wilson (to bring more than $83MM over two years) and the Browns are staring at an unfathomable $170MM-plus bill if they drop Deshaun Watson next year, a $49MM cap penalty is still notable. The Packers ate $40.3MM by trading Rodgers last year, with the Falcons’ 2022 Matt Ryan trade standing as the single-player record ($40.5MM) before the Broncos’ decision.
The Jets rolled with rookie-contract quarterbacks primarily in between Favre and Rodgers. Zach Wilson‘s struggles prompted Woody Johnson to spend for Rodgers to chase course, but the franchise is close to giving up here. It will obviously be interesting to see where the Jets go if/when they move on from Rodgers, who would profile as a boom-or-bust bet as a high-profile stopgap in 2025.
Joe Douglas Fallout: Jets, Johnson, Rodgers, Saleh, Brown, Ravens
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.”