NY Jets miss out on top GM candidate as sluggish search continues

When the NY Jets fired former general manager Joe Douglas weeks before the end of the 2024 season, the belief was that his premature departure would allow the team to get a head start on their search for a replacement.

In theory, that is what happened. The Jets interviewed a few prospective GM candidates before the end of the season, including ESPN analyst Louis Riddick and former NFL general managers Thomas Dimitroff and Jon Robinson.

But as we move past the halfway point of January, the Jets have yet to request a second interview with any candidates for their head coach or general manager positions — and it may have just cost them.

The Tennessee Titans officially hired Kansas City Chiefs assistant general manager Mike Borgonzi to be their new GM on Friday. Borgonzi was widely seen as one of the top options on the market and was considered a "strong candidate" for the Jets' job.

Unfortunately, fortune favors the bold, and the Jets have been anything but bold this hiring cycle.

NY Jets' indecision may have cost them Mike Borgonzi as a GM option

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported earlier this week that Borgonzi, who interviewed with the Jets over a week ago, was a "strong candidate" for the team's open position. Reports about a potential Borgonzi-Aaron Glenn pairing have been circulating over the last few days.

Instead, the Jets will have to look elsewhere in their search for a GM after the Titans beat them to the punch.

Tennessee parted ways with former GM Ran Carthon on Jan. 7. They managed to complete their entire hiring process with multiple candidates brought in for second interviews in just 10 days.

The Jets fired Douglas on Nov. 19. A total of 59 days have passed since his firing and the Jets have yet to even request a second interview with any of their 15 known candidates. It's one thing to conduct an extensive search — it's another thing to drag your feet and miss out on top options.

Of course, there's no guarantee Borgonzi would have picked the Jets had the team gotten to him first. The Titans' job has some level of appeal with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. It's also far from certain that Borgonzi will find success in Tennessee. Picking the right GM sometimes feels like potluck.

The Jets aren’t helping themselves by dragging out their hiring process — a process led by The 33rd Team. This delay only risks losing preferred candidates, which seems to be what happened with Borgonzi.

The Jets will continue their comprehensive search of seemingly any candidate willing to take an interview while their contemporaries finalize their hiring processes. I suppose The 33rd Team must be getting paid by the hour.

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