Former New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas might be getting a second crack.
Lead NFL Insider for CBS Sports, Jonathan Jones, shared on social media on Thursday, January 22, that the Atlanta Falcons have requested permission to speak with Douglas for their vacant GM role.
Douglas returned to the Philadelphia Eagles in a senior personnel director role after being fired by the Jets.
Douglas’ Tenure With the Jets Was a Mixed Bag to Say the Least
The former Richmond product was hired by the Jets in June of 2019. For some strange reason, team owner Woody Johnson allowed the previous GM, Mike Maccagnan, to run the point on the NFL draft and free agency and then fired him following those proceedings.
It is only fitting that Douglas, who secured the Jets’ GM chair with strange timing, ended up exiting the GM chair with a similarly bizarre timeline when he was fired in November of 2024.
All in all, JD was with the Jets for six years. The Jets finished with a 32-68 overall record under his watch.
Gang Green never sniffed the playoffs and didn’t win more than seven games in a single season during the Douglas era.
It was a polarizing run for Douglas because his reputation extended beyond losing — he was a master trader.
Douglas pulled off one of the most historic trades in franchise history.
Ahead of training camp in 2020, the Jets struck a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks to ship off star safety Jamal Adams.
“The Jets traded the disgruntled star defensive back and a 2022 fourth-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for safety Bradley McDougald, a first-round and third-round pick in 2021, and a 2022 first-round pick, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported,” via Jelani Scott of the NFL Media Group.
That immediately led to one of the worst seasons of all time for the Jets; they finished 2-14 in 2020, but it delivered a seismic haul.
The Ghost of Douglas Still Floats Around the Facilities
While Douglas is long gone from the Jets, his spirit still lives on with some of his moves.
The treasure chest of picks the Jets got in the Adams deal transformed into two major pillars for the team.
Gang Green ended up with wide receiver Garrett Wilson and offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker.
Wilson has been a home run selection. He has been a superstar wide receiver and has posted consistent production despite some uneven quarterback play. This past offseason, he was rewarded with the largest contract in Jets franchise history.
Wilson signed a four-year $130 million extension with $90 million of that guaranteed.
Vera-Tucker’s tenure is more complicated. When the former USC product has been on the field, he has been elite. AVT has played four of the five positions on the offensive line, displaying some serious versatility. That has been an invaluable asset to the team and has increased his overall value.
However, three season-ending injuries across five seasons put a black mark on his resume. This offseason, the Jets must decide what to do because he is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent.
Polarizing Ex-Jets GM Joe Douglas Lands NFC General Manager Interview