The New York Jets surprisingly fired general manager Joe Douglas, ending a tenure that spanned nearly six years but was marred by disappointing performances and internal discord.
The decision, announced Tuesday, comes in the wake of a season derailed by on- and off-field turmoil, including the firing of head coach Robert Saleh in October.
Douglas’ dismissal follows reports of significant interference from Jets owner Woody Johnson, which came to light in a detailed account published by The Athletic.
According to the report by Jets beat writer Zach Rosenblatt and NFL insider Dianna Russini, Johnson’s heavy-handed involvement in key personnel decisions often undermined Douglas’ authority.
One particularly startling anecdote from the report highlights a meeting held after the Jets’ Week 4 loss to the Denver Broncos, an ugly 10-9 defeat that left the team reeling.
“The coaches had been called in to explain what happened with their units during the 10-9 home loss to the Broncos,” Rosenblatt and Russini reported. “During the meeting, Johnson suggested to the coaches that they bench Aaron Rodgers in favor of Tyrod Taylor because he felt Rodgers’ performance was holding the team back.”
Needless to say, the suggestion shocked everyone in the room.
“The coaches and Douglas, stunned at the suggestion, talked him out of it and convinced Johnson to stay the course and that benching Rodgers, with his pedigree, four games into the season would not sit well with the locker room.
“The coaches also felt it would embarrass Rodgers. The idea of benching the future Hall of Famer sounded so absurd that one coach asked whether the owner was serious – multiple sources from that meeting believed he was.”
This incident epitomized the dysfunction within the Jets’ organizational structure and underscored the challenges Douglas faced as GM.
While Rodgers’ acquisition was expected to be a franchise-altering move, injuries and poor team management have led to two seasons that have not only spiraled out of control, but have been colossal failures.
Some will chalk the whole thing up to “the Jets being the Jets” – but it goes much deeper than that.
Douglas’ tenure as general manager is now viewed as a cautionary tale of leadership hamstrung by ownership meddling. The Athletic report revealed that Johnson’s interference extended far beyond the Rodgers controversy.
In one notable example, Johnson reportedly blocked Douglas’ plans to sign pass rusher Bryce Huff, a move that could have prevented the prolonged saga surrounding Haason Reddick.
The report also claimed that Johnson personally intervened to resolve the Reddick situation, leaving Douglas out of the loop entirely.
The consistent undermining of Douglas by Johnson appears to have exacerbated the systemic issues plaguing the Jets, leaving the team in a precarious position as it now faces yet another front-office overhaul.
The bottom line is there’s no possible way to downplay the impact of the Rodgers benching tidbit. That’s not something anyone, especially Rodgers, will just gloss over and move on from.
First of all, even the biggest Rodgers-hater in the world has to admit the idea of benching him after the Denver loss is pure madness. Forget about it “not playing well” in the locker room, the move would have been insane and downright stupid.
It’s no secret that the Rodgers era in New York has been one of the biggest failures in NFL history.
The four-time MVP is about to turn 41-years-old in a few weeks. He’s stated that he plans to play next season. However, it’s becoming increasingly likely that he will be taking snaps in a different uniform if he does indeed return in 2025.
Think back to Rodgers’ introductory press conference with the Jets…
The statement about the trophy case looking sad and lonely. The ensuing “summer of Rodgers” with the Taylor Swift concerts and Broadway shows. All of the appearances at Knicks and Rangers games. The way the entire organization was star-struck by him throughout Hard Knocks…
My oh my, how the mighty have fallen.
Make no mistake, Rodgers is FAR from the only one who deserves blame for this whole mess. However, he’s going to be the poster boy for the 2023-2024 Jets nightmare. (Although it should be Woody.)
What are your thoughts on the report that Johnson had to be talked out of benching Rodgers following the loss to Denver?
Where will Rodgers be playing next season? .. Or will he end up changing his mind and actually retire? (Could he really handle stepping away after failing THIS bad???)
