New York Jets Robert Saleh Firing Makes GM Joe Douglas a Dead Man Walking
The pressure is on Joe Douglas to turn the Jets around, or he may be next out the door
The Robert Saleh era is over in New York, but the Jets’ failing Aaron Rodgers experiment barrels on, full steam ahead.
Saleh was fired by the Jets on Tuesday, two days removed from a brutally ugly loss for the Jets that saw Rodgers toss three interceptions and show up his intended target, Mike Williams, on his final ill-fated throw of a 23-17 loss to the Vikings.
New York’s disappointing showing in London marked the Jets’ third loss of the season, 13th since Rodgers arrived in Florham Park (in fairness, he missed all but four snaps last season due to a ruptured Achilles tendon), and ultimately the 36th and final defeat of Saleh’s 56-game tenure.
The devil is in the details for the Jets, who have scored 93 points through their first five games with Rodgers, the exact same total the offense mustered through five games in 2023 with Zach Wilson behind center through the first five weeks.
Worse and even more worrisome, coordinator Nathanial Hackett’s offense looks disjointed, and Rodgers has less chemistry with his weapons than one single introvert at a crowded house party.
Put in its simplest terms; the 2024 New York Jets with Aaron Rodgers are no closer to competing than last season’s group led by a premier defense weighed down by an offense built around a meandering cast of retread quarterbacks and an offensive line of castoffs.
New York could have easily cut ties with Hackett on Monday, either alongside Saleh or instead of him. But instead, the Jets doubled down on their commitment to Rodgers.
Time will tell if general manager Joe Douglas can break the bank and triple down on Rodgers by pulling off a blockbuster trade for All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams, which would feel like quadrupling down on finishing 8-9.
Make no mistake, though, that Douglas is culpable for this mess.
So, it shouldn’t be surprising that his contract wasn’t renewed before this season, which now seems to have a 'now-or-never' feel, especially after pulling the ripcord on Saleh just over a month in.
After all, it was Douglas who hitched this franchise’s wagon to a 38-year-old Rodgers, coming off one of the worst statistical seasons of his career and traded a first-round pick, two second-round picks, and a sixth-round pick to the Packers for the guise of being able to compete.
Compounding the Rodgers mistake, Douglas and the organization kowtowed to Rodgers’ demands; signing receiver Allen Lazard to a $44 million deal, bringing in former Packers receiver Randall Cobb, despite his best football being well off in the distance glancing in his rearview mirror, and then completely whiffing on offensive tackle Mekhi Becton to protect their new immobile quarterback.
Now, remember, Rodgers wasn’t the only game in town nor the only veteran quarterback the Jets considered.
Derek Carr wound up signing with the New Orleans Saints shortly after visiting with the Jets, in part because New York wanted a decision … Was Carr pressured in order to meet a timeline to acquire Rodgers?
Douglas has added premier talent to the Jets’ roster, including building an elite defense around cornerbacks Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and D.J. Reed, game-changing defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, drafted rising pass-rusher Will McDonald and mined elite offensive playmakers Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, and Braelon Allen in the NFL Draft.
But, Zach Wilson didn’t work out, and neither did either of Douglas’ head coaching hires; Adam Gase was an abject disaster and there was a strong argument to be made that Saleh should have been fired last offseason.
However, Douglas stayed pot committed to the coaching staff in place, including Rodgers’ handpicked offensive coordinator in Hackett.
It doesn’t matter how much talent a general manager adds to a roster, if a general manager whiffs on two head coaching hires and two quarterbacks, they rarely get the chance at hiring and finding a third one of each.
The pressure was on Douglas to win, and win big, in 2024 and now that that hasn’t happened it feels like the clock is ticking down on his tenure as well.
