NY Jets continue quest for mediocrity with 2 rumored GM hires

The NY Jets have the perfect opportunity to wipe the slate clean. After firing head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas during the crushingly disappointing 2024 season, owner Woody Johnson had the chance to reinvent how the Jets do business.

Nailing the GM hire will be the biggest box Johnson needs to check. Not only does he need to find someone who can pick players and manage a salary cap, but they will also need to be capable of setting a standard that erases the last decade of Jets mediocrity.

Instead, the Jets' allegedly exhaustive search is leading them back to familiar names and retreads. The two leading candidates for the GM job won't satisfy Jets fans who want a complete change in culture to take place this offseason.

According to Adam Schefter, the two latest names to be connected to the Jets' GM search are former Tennessee Titans GM Jon Robinson and ESPN analyst Louis Riddick. The Jets seemingly remain committed to losing at this rate, as neither of those two names should inspire much confidence.

NY Jets considering Jon Robinson, Louis Riddick for vacant GM role

Riddick has earned some strong testimonials about his football acumen, and he spent more than a decade in scouting and administrative roles with Washington and Philadelphia. However, he hasn't picked a player in over a decade (2013 was his last NFL job) and has spent the interim period on TV.

Robinson is the bigger name. After a long tenure in New England, Robinson was named GM of the Titans in 2016. While he did hire Mike Vrabel, get to an AFC Championship game, and establish himself as the best team in the AFC South during his tenure, the ending of his time in Tennessee was quite sour.

On top of being a poor drafter who used three straight first-round picks on Isaiah Wilson, Caleb Farley, and Treylon Burks, Robinson's trade of A.J. Brown was ultimately the final straw that brought an end to his time with Tennessee. Still, the Jets have hired offensive assistants like Todd Downing, Keith Carter, and Tony Dews from those teams. They like what Robinson built.

Jets fans hoping for a massive change in philosophy from the front office have to be upset with the fact the first two big names connected to the GM job are a retread with mixed results and a TV talking head 12 years removed from action.

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