In the final year of a six-year contract he signed in 2019, Jets general manager Joe Douglas entered this season under great pressure to help lead the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
But with a 3-6 record and at the halfway point of the season, the Jets have been among the league’s biggest disappointments.
Despite the Jets’ record through nine games, Douglas says he is not worried about his future with the team.
“I come in here every day and just do whatever I can to help this team reach its goals and get to its destination,” Douglas said. “Whatever happens, happens.”
In his six seasons as the team’s general manager, Douglas has a 30-62 record with zero playoff appearances. During his time with the Jets, Douglas has improved the roster, which lacked talent when he arrived.
In 2022, Douglas selected eventual Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson and Defensive Rookie of the Year Sauce Gardner in the same draft class. He also acquired Aaron Rodgers via trade with the Packers in 2023 in a move he hoped would make the Jets championship contenders.
However, Douglas’ era is remembered more for his swings and misses. In 2021, the Jets and Douglas selected Zach Wilson second overall in that year’s NFL Draft. Last offseason, the Jets traded Zach Wilson to the Broncos after he was benched several times during his three seasons and Rodgers eventually became the starting quarterback.
Douglas also signed Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, and Mike Williams to free agent deals the last two years, hoping to improve the Jets’ offense. Lazard’s tenure has been disappointing after signing a four-year, $44 million contract in 2023. Cobb is retired and now works for SEC Network, and Williams was just traded to the Steelers on Tuesday.
Running back Dalvin Cook also agreed to a $7 million deal last year under Douglas’ watch. Cook played in 15 games and rushed for 214 yards with zero touchdowns before the two sides parted ways.
“I mean we haven’t had a winning season,” Douglas said about his tenure as general manager. “We are sitting here 3-6, so a lot of frustration. Obviously, it starts with me.
“I can look back and there’s quite a few things that I could have done better. When the situation happens, like how it happened four weeks ago, you have a lot of self-inflicted wounds on things you could have done better to keep that from happening. But we got an opportunity in these last stretch games to change that narrative.”
Douglas also spearheaded the hiring of Jets coach Robert Saleh in 2021. During his three-plus seasons as Jets coach, Saleh registered a 20-36 mark before owner Woody Johnson fired him on Oct. 8.
Before the start of the 2024 season, many pundits and experts believed the Jets would not only win the AFC East but contend for a Super Bowl. However, the Jets have at times struggled in all three phases of their team, most notably on the offensive side of the ball.
The Jets currently rank 24th in offensive yards (308.7) and 25th in points per game (19). Shortly after Johnson fired Saleh, Ulbrich demoted offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett from his play-calling duties. Then, a week after Johnson fired Saleh, the Jets acquired wide receiver Davante Adams in a trade with the Raiders.
Johnson told reporters at the time that firing Saleh was his decision and his alone. Douglas said he didn’t have much to add to Johnson’s comments last month.
“Not going to get into any of the details or the conversations that happened before or after that,” Douglas said. “Woody and I talk every day, but at the end of the day, and I think [former United States Secretary of State] Colin Powell said it in a different arena, but I serve at the pleasure of the owner.
“My single goal is to help this team get to the goal of a championship. Obviously, not the start that anybody envisioned, but we still have it all in front of us. It is just doing the little things better, executing and stacking some wins.”
Douglas was also criticized for handling the Haason Reddick holdout situation. The Jets acquired Reddick in a trade with the Eagles last March. However, Reddick held out of training camp and the first seven games of the season amidst a contract dispute.
Reddick finally ended his holdout and reported to the Jets facility on Oct. 21 and played in Week 8’s loss against the Patriots.
“I think it took a lot of open, honest communication and I think Drew [Rosenhaus] was a big catalyst for that and Woody was involved in that too,” Douglas said. “Ultimately, we are excited to have Hasson here.
“I think you guys see he had however many pressures that he had on Thursday night and that’s basically like his second preseason game. You are only going to see better from Haason. He is only going to get better and is going to be an impact player for us on the edge.”
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