The real reason the NY Jets fired Joe Douglas now has been revealed

The NY Jets needed to wash everything away after a 3-8 start to a 2024 season that began with Super Bowl expectations. Head coach Robert Saleh has already bit the dust, and general manager Joe Douglas followed suit just a few weeks before the 2024 season was set to mercifully conclude.

The Jets fired Douglas, who was hired in the early days of the Adam Gase era after the Jets lost for the seventh time in eight games. The end of the Douglas era was coming soon, as it seemed incredibly unlikely that Douglas would get a second contract after his original term expired.

The Jets made a move that many called unusual, as it is rare to see an executive like Douglas get fired in the middle of the season. However, the Jets made this move to better prepare for what will become the next era of New York football.

According to Rich Cimini of ESPN, the Jets made this move in order to get a head start on looking at 2025 GM options. Johnson, who is rumored to likely accept an ambassador role in the incoming presidential administration, may want to hire a new GM before he departs.

NY Jets' reasoning for firing GM Joe Douglas revealed

Douglas built a talented roster, which is the goal of every GM. He drafted Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Jermaine Johnson, and Breece Hall with consecutive picks. Players he added via trade and free agency include Quincy Williams, Davante Adams, D.J. Reed, and John Simpson, just to name a few.

At the same time, this is a results-oriented business, and results have to matter. Douglas went 30-64 in charge of the Jets, never winning more than seven games in a season. Douglas may have overseen a log rebuild, but the resulting championship push has failed epically.

Douglas' draft misfires are more numerous than his wins. Picking Zach Wilson No. 2 overall is the big one that will haunt Douglas for the rest of his career, but Mekhi Becton, Denzel Mims, and Malachi Corley are just a few of the poor players he picked with some of his premium selections.

Douglas could never get quarterback or offensive line (before 2024) figured out, and by then it was already too late. The Jets are on track to rebuild again, which could put them in a spot to once again start over with a new head coach, general manager, and quarterback in 2025.

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