NY Jets destined for another rebuild after Joe Douglas is inevitably fired.
The NY Jets have been down this road before. They’ve seen this story countless times. Heck, they practically wrote this story. The Jets appear set to miss the postseason for the 14th straight season, a grim milestone that will inevitably lead to yet another rebuild.
Robert Saleh has already been fired. It’s safe to say that general manager Joe Douglas will likely join him on the unemployment line sooner rather than later following the team’s embarrassing 2-6 start to the 2024 season.
Douglas has now fallen to 29-62 in his six years with the organization. His 31% winning percentage is the worst among all Jets general managers who have been with the team for more than three seasons. Only Rich Kotite and Al Ward have worse records as Jets executives.
One could argue the process has oftentimes made sense with Douglas, hence why he’s been given six years despite his abysmal record. The Jets have built a roster that should be good enough to make the postseason. But at a certain point, the results speak for themselves.
Douglas has failed to field a competitive roster in his six years as Jets GM. He’s long overstayed his welcome in Florham Park.
NY Jets sealed Joe Douglas’ fate in Week 8 loss to the Patriots
Jets owner Woody Johnson seemingly gave Douglas a vote of confidence when he fired Saleh earlier this season. Johnson insisted the Jets’ roster was “one of the most talented” the franchise had ever put together — a testament to the work Douglas had done.
There was a sentiment that Douglas could survive the season and receive an extension even if the Jets failed to reach the playoffs. The blame was being placed on the coaching staff, not the front office.
That mindset has changed at this stage. Everything about the current iteration of the Jets is a complete and unmitigated disaster. They’re 2-6 with a Hall of Fame quarterback and an all-in roster loaded with Pro Bowl/All-Pro talent. They’re once again the laughingstock of the NFL.
It doesn’t really matter how you want to divide up the blame pie at this point — everyone is at fault. Barring a complete and sudden turnaround, the Jets will likely tear everything down this offseason.
Douglas will be fired and the Jets will bring in a new head coach and general manager to kickstart what will likely be some variation of a rebuild. They won’t completely tear apart their roster — there’s too much young talent for that — but there will be major changes.
The Jets went all-in on this current version of the team, sacrificing future draft capital and financial flexibility to give themselves a chance to compete in 2024. That plan blew up in their faces, and the next regime will be left picking up the pieces of dysfunction left behind.
In reality, Douglas likely hasn’t been the one in charge since the day Saleh was fired. It was Johnson who overruled Douglas and made that decision. It was Johnson who pushed for the Davante Adams trade. It was Johnson who ultimately helped resolve the Haason Reddick situation.
Woody Johnson is the head honcho in Florham Park — he’s calling the shots. Douglas has been relegated to the role of a figurehead, simply riding out his contract before he can pursue new opportunities in the offseason.
That is the current state of the New York Jets. maelstrom of dysfunction — a team stuck in an endless loop of missteps, quick-fix decisions, and self-inflicted wounds. Their attempts to escape this cycle only seem to drag them deeper into it.
The Jets’ spiral only seems destined to deepen, and as they sink, Douglas’s fate is all but sealed. Once the architect of a promising rebuild, he’s now a figure on the periphery. His departure is inevitable, merely waiting for the offseason stamp of finality from an organization that is perpetually at odds with itself.
Joe Douglas will be fired, and thus, the cycle will repeat.
