Joe Douglas’ reaction to being fired as New York Jets general manager amid tumultuous season revealed
After Joe Douglas was fired as the New York Jets general manager on Tuesday, he was spotted fishing on the shores of New Jersey hours later.
The feeling around Douglas was ‘relief’ after a horrible 2024 for the Jets and an overall tenure with the team highlighted by dysfunction and zero playoff appearances.
‘It’s the happiest he’s sounded in a long time,’ a person close to Douglas told The Athletic.
Douglas had been the team’s general manager since 2019 and was one of the architects in bringing Aaron Rodgers to the Big Apple.
Rodgers’ stay as the team’s quarterback has been a disaster, handing out demotions and pink slips to those around the soon-to-be-41-year-old except the aging four-time NFL MVP.
Douglas’ firing was done during the Jets’ bye week to show respect to him while owner Woody Johnson starting thinking about his successor.
The New York Jets fired general manager Joe Douglas on Tuesday amid the team’s bad season
Aaron Rodgers may be the next to leave the Big Apple after a terrible stay as Jets quarterback
Douglas reportedly saw the writing on the wall before officially being fired, as the Jets are 3-8 this season and have almost no chance of making the playoffs.
Robert Saleh was fired as the team’s head coach last month and has since become an adviser to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.
Saleh was apparently ‘very upset and emotional’ when he heard Douglas would not be able to finish the season with the Jets.
New York has the longest-standing playoff drought in professional sports at 14 seasons, with Johnson already trying to make moves to end that streak next year.
It’s a tough ask for a new general manager and head coach to gel that quickly. Similar upheavals in Washington and Houston in the past years have proven it can happen.
The major difference with the Jets to the Texans and Commanders is the latter two have young, efficient quarterbacks.
Rodgers may be the next to see the lights go out on Broadway. The Empire State is no doubt laying low with the Jets and Giants at the moment.
