Jets owner Woody Johnson makes feelings clear after firing Joe Douglas
Woody Johnson has taken an unusual step for an NFL owner by firing New York Jets General Manager Joe Douglas in the middle of the season. This decision comes after a series of six losing seasons, which have extended the Jets' playoff drought. The team currently holds the longest playoff drought not only in the NFL but also in the NBA, MLB, and NHL.
After firing Douglas, the Jets owner released a statement, wishing Douglas and his family well going forward and thanking him for being part of the Jets family. In the statement, he also announced Phil Savage, a former Chicago Bears GM, as the interim GM.
"Today, I informed Joe Douglas he will no longer serve as the General Manager of the New York Jets," he said. "I want to thank Joe for his commitment to the Jets over the last six years and wish him and his family the best moving forward. Phil Savage will be the Interim General Manager for the remainder of the season. We will begin the process to identify a new General Manager immediately."
This comes as another major shift in the Jets building after the team fired their head coach, Robert Saleh, in October. Jeff Ulbrich, the team's defensive coordinator, was promoted to interim HC, while Todd Downing became their offensive play-caller.
Not just that, they also brought over Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders and resolved the impasse with Haason Reddick as well. However, all of this couldn't help the Jets, as they lost their second straight game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Could Woody Johnson distance himself from the Jets?
Woody Johnson might also be on the move considering he was part of the Donald Trump administration during his first term in office. It seems the Jets are truly rebuilding from the ground up.
On Tuesday's episode of the Pat McAfee Show, Adam Schefter said that Woody's brother, Christopher, was the one to hire Robert Saleh during the former's tenure as the ambassador to the United Kingdom under the Trump administration.
"But when Robert was being introduced, if it wasn't their very first exchange, it was amongst their first exchanges, Woody Johnson told Robert Saleh, remember, "I wasn't the one who hired you. My brother did," Schefter said.
If that happens again, Woody Johnson may distance himself from the Jets to take care of his political duties. Will that give the Jets a chance for a real fresh start or will Aaron Rodgers, who will turn 41 years old, finally decide to retire, allowing the Jets the chance to work with a younger QB?