If fans of the New York Jets were hoping for ownership to clean house after what has been a disastrous 2023 season, it seems that they will be seriously disappointed.
Jets owner Woody Johnson and the Johnson family have “no intention” of firing general manager Joe Douglas, head coach Robert Saleh, or any of the coaching staff following the conclusion of the season as reported by Connor Hughes of SNY.
“Patience is not a virtue shared by Woody and Christopher Johnson,” Hughes said on his weekly show Jetcast. “From my understanding, that could not be further from the truth. There is absolutely no intention from the Johnson brothers to make a change. The two guys and their staff are going to be back in 2024.”
Hughes later agreed with the initial report stating that while the team’s 4-8 mark this season has been beyond disappointing, the rash of injuries suffered by the Jets this season would have hampered any other organization in their shoes.
He also has a point.
New York lost the franchise quarterback four plays into his debut and Aaron Rodgers is expected to make a full recovery for next season. Rodgers has also stated his desire for the organization to remain in place with the leadership currently in charge.
Despite the very obvious reasons for their demise in 2023, both Saleh and Douglas would have to be in a “playoff mandate” that Johnson avoided speaking before the season began when Rodgers first came to the team. Douglas is 24-54 as a general manager despite some strong draft classes. Saleh is just 15-31 as a head coach.
Both Douglas and Saleh are very well respected in NFL circles. Should they ever be fired in New York, the expectation is that they would both have new jobs hours later. Despite that knowledge, winning is the most important to the fans of the Jets and the organization that hasn’t seen a playoff berth in 13 years.
While the Johnson family may be patient now, there’s no guarantee they will be if it happens again in 2024.
For now, though, it appears everyone’s job is safe.
