Joe Douglas has been relieved of his duties as the general manager of the New York Jets, just 18 months after his acquisition of quarterback Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers in a trade. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Jets made this decision following a narrow 28-27 defeat to the Indianapolis Colts that dropped the team's record to 3-8 for the current season. The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported that the Jets opted to move on from Douglas at this time to facilitate an immediate search for a new general manager.
The Jets aimed to commence the search for their next GM without Douglas still holding the title. This marks the third significant personnel change for the team in a span of six weeks, having previously dismissed head coach Robert Saleh on October 8 after a loss to the Minnesota Vikings. During the same week, interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich announced that Nathaniel Hackett would be demoted from his role as offensive coordinator, with Todd Downing stepping in to call plays. Hackett, however, remains on the Jets' staff.
Since the arrival of Aaron Rodgers, the Jets have made numerous efforts to surround him with familiar talent, which included signing wide receiver Allen Lazard as a free agent in March 2023 prior to the trade. Additionally, the Jets reunited Rodgers with star receiver Davante Adams through a trade that involved a 2025 conditional third-round draft pick. To bolster their offensive line, the Jets allocated substantial resources during the offseason, signing veterans Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses, while also utilizing the No. 11 overall pick in the NFL Draft on Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu. Currently, the Jets find themselves in a familiar position at the bottom of the AFC East, technically holding a tiebreaker over the New England Patriots based on common game winning percentage but effectively tied for last place in the division. With one more loss, the Jets are poised to secure their ninth consecutive losing season and trail the Denver Broncos by three games for the final playoff spot in the AFC.
