New York Jets' 5 Best Options to Replace Joe Douglas
With Joe Douglas out, the New York Jets face a pivotal offseason
New York Jets owner Woody Johnson pulled the plug on general manager Joe Douglas on Tuesday, just 43 days after summarily dismissing former head coach Robert Saleh, setting the franchise up for a complete course-correction this offseason.
While there remains the possibility that Aaron Rodgers may be elsewhere, as well.
At least for now the Jets will be guided by interim general manager Phil Savage over the final month of the season to conduct evaluations of the roster and get a feel for what New York’s biggest needs are entering a winter of all but assured discontent.
Savage may prove to be the ideal candidate for the job, especially given his decades long career in talent evaluation, relationships forged with executives across the league, and he now has what amounts to a six-week interview for the position.
But, Savage isn’t the only name to watch as Johnson looks for the next leader of the franchise.
In the meantime, Douglas departs with a meager 30-64 record, with a litany of quarterback failures left behind in his wake.
Expect Johnson to cast a wide net in search of Douglas’ replacement, but there are several qualified candidates who have the potential to offer the experience and track record of success that the Jets desperately need as the organization aims to chart a new course.
After conversations with several sources inside the league, here’s a list of the Jets’ potential top options and best fits to replace Douglas as the franchise’s next general manager.
1. Ryan Grigson
Grigson should sit atop the short list of any owner putting together their list of candidates this offseason, especially one with the youthful talent in place and the pressure to win immediately that the Jets are facing.
Prior to spending the past three seasons in the Minnesota Vikings’ front office, helping oversee the immense talent that’s been added over the past three draft classes, Grigson rose up the ranks in the Philadelphia Eagles’ front office from 2004 through 2011, then spent five seasons as the Indianapolis Colts’ general manager before taking on front office roles with the Cleveland Browns and Seattle Seahawks from 2017 through the 2021 campaign.
Grigson was instrumental in the Vikings’ pursuit of Sam Darnold, who has helped guide Minnesota to an 8-2 start this season.
The executives around the league who credit Grigson as a visionary and influence over their roster building philosophies reads like a who’s who of the NFL’s top general managers; Andrew Barry, Howie Roseman, John Schneider, and Brett Veach.
During his career, Grigson has never had a losing season, while boasting an NFL Executive of The Year Award on his resumè won following the Indianapolis Colts’ standout 2012 campaign. Grigson would bring a winning mentality and a philosophy shaped by working alongside some of the game’s most successful general managers to the Jets.
2. Dave Caldwell
After being fired as the Jacksonville Jaguars general manager back in 2020, Caldwell has spent the past four seasons as a personnel executive for the Philadelphia Eagles, becoming one of general manager Howie Roseman’s most trusted collaborators.
While Caldwell had his share of misses in the NFL Draft, he built a roster in 2017 that took Tom Brady and the New England Patriots to the brink in the AFC Championship Game, while collecting premier talent such as Jalen Ramsey, Yannick Ngakoue, Myles Jack, and others during his tenure as general manager.
Caldwell offers extensive general manager experience as well as a career’s worth of experience in both pro personnel and college scouting, which could prove to be an asset for the Jets as New York looks to close the gap on the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills in the AFC East.
PODCAST
3. Ian Cunningham
Cunningham has worked alongside some of the most respected and accomplished general managers in the league, with intimate knowledge of how to follow the blueprint for building a successful franchise.
Whether it’s spending nine seasons working alongside Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome with the Baltimore Ravens or as a top lieutenant of Howie Roseman with the Philadelphia Eagles, Cunningham is the embodiment of some of the most proven team-building philosophies across the NFL.
Cunningham has spent the past three seasons as Ryan Poles’ assistant general manager with the Chicago Bears, and there is no denying the amount of talent that has been acquired both via free agency, through the top of the NFL Draft, and aggressively pursuing acquisitions in the trade market during his time in the Windy City.
4. Terrance Gray
As the old adage goes; If you can’t beat them, hire them.
If the Jets are ever going to overtake the Bills in the AFC East, hiring away Buffalo’s VP of Player Personnel would be a significant first step in terms of altering the culture and jumpstarting the talent necessary to climb the ladder in the division.
Gray has spent time during his tenure with the Bills both in the college scouting department as well as the pro personnel side, so his fingerprints are all over some of the marquee additions made by Brandon Beane over the past two seasons.
5. Mark Sadowski
Few organizations have been as historically and consistently competitive than the Pittsburgh Steelers, where Sadowski is one of general manager Omar Khan’s top lieutenants as the Senior Director of Player Scouting.
As a key figure in the Chicago Bears' scouting department for over two decades, Sadowski has demonstrated a keen eye for identifying talent, including finding late-round gems and undrafted free agents who have contributed significantly on the field. Given the Jets’ limited resources in terms of draft capital and cap space in coming years, Sadowski’s ability to mine late-round talent could prove critical.
Sadowski’s ability to construct balanced, cost-effective rosters aligns well with the Jets' need for stability and long-term success
