Jets fire GM Douglas amid disappointing season
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Jets‘ disappointing season claimed another casualty Tuesday, as owner Woody Johnson fired general manager Joe Douglas.
Phil Savage, a senior football adviser for the Jets, was named the team’s interim general manager. Savage is a former GM of the Cleveland Browns (2005-08).
“Today, I informed Joe Douglas he will no longer serve as the General Manager of the New York Jets. 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,” Johnson said in a statement.
Johnson added that the Jets “will begin the process to identify a new General Manager immediately.”
Douglas’ departure comes only seven weeks after Johnson fired coach Robert Saleh following the team’s 2-3 start. Douglas, who spearheaded the coaching search when Saleh was hired in 2021, wasn’t consulted on the Saleh firing.
The Jets have since gone 1-5 under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich.
Douglas, who signed a six-year contract when he was hired in June 2019, had an expiring contract. He was to be a free agent after the season.
Under Douglas, the Jets have a 30-64 record, no winning seasons and no playoff appearances. Douglas has built a roster with young stars such as wide receiver Garrett Wilson and cornerback Sauce Gardner, but he had a huge miss by drafting quarterback Zach Wilson with the second pick in 2021 after deciding to move on from Sam Darnold and trading him to the Carolina Panthers.
Douglas tried a quick fix at quarterback, trading for future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers in April 2023, but Rodgers has failed to live up to expectations this season after missing all but four snaps last year with a torn Achilles.
Douglas’ legacy with the Jets will revolve around the issues at quarterback during his tenure. Since the start of 2019, the team’s quarterbacks rank last in the NFL in Total QBR (36), completion rate (59.6%), and yards per attempt (6.3), according to ESPN Research.
