NEW YORK — Joe Douglas has resigned as general manager of the New York Jets.
The move comes six weeks later head coach Robert Saleh was fired after the much-hyped team’s 2-3 start to the 2024 season.
“Today I informed Joe Douglas that he will no longer serve as general manager of the New York Jets,” owner Woody Johnson said in a statement. “I would like to thank Joe for his service to the Jets over the past six years and wish him and his family the best for the future. Phil Savage will serve as the interim general manager for the remainder of the season. We will begin the process of immediately identify a new general manager.”
Savage, who had been the Jets’ senior football advisor since 2019 and one of Douglas’ most trusted lieutenants, has held several administrative jobs in the NFL, including a stint as senior vice president and general manager of the Cleveland Browns from 2005-08 .
A look at Joe Douglas’ tenure with the Jets
Under Douglas, who was in the final year of his contract, the Jets went 30-64 in more than five seasons, without a winning record. Their 3-8 start this season all but ensures the franchise will miss the playoffs for the 14th straight season, the longest current streak of futility in the NFL.
The final straw for Johnson was likely Sunday 28-27 home loss to the Indianapolis Coltsin which the Jets were brutal on offense to start the game and then collapsed on defense in the final minutes.
It’s not that Douglas, 48, wasn’t proactive during his tenure; it’s that many of the moves just didn’t work. He brought in several veterans who had achieved varying levels of success for other teams, only to see them fail to reproduce their previous level of play.
Perhaps what Douglas will be most remembered for trading for four-time NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgersonly to watch the future Hall of Famer contribute to just three wins over parts of two seasons. Rodgers, who turns 41 in December, missed all but four games of the 2023 season afterward tearing his left Achilles during the Jets opener against the Buffalo Bills.
Despite drafting a number of players who have gone on to become solid pros — including wide receiver Garrett Wilson, running back Breece Hall, cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive end Jermaine Johnson II — Douglas failed to land the long-sought franchise quarterback find the team in the draft, prompting him to try a quick fix with a once-great quarterback in Rodgers, who appears to be well past his prime.
The Jets’ offense is currently averaging just 18.5 points per game, 26th in the NFL.
Rodgers has one year left on the three-year, $112.5 million contract he signed before the 2023 season, with a $23 million salary cap hit in 2025. He has indicated he wants to play next season, but now the Jets apparently are completely rebuilding. re-entering the mode, it’s possible they move on from him this offseason.
Johnson’s decision to fire Douglas now also does not bode well for interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich, who was promoted from defensive coordinator after Saleh’s ouster but has just one win in six games.
The Jets are currently in their bye week and will return to the field on December 1 against the visiting Seattle Seahawks.
