Very little has gone according to plan for the Jets this season, but many of the pieces in place right now will remain for next year. That includes quarterback Aaron Rodgers, as well as, in all likelihood, key members of the coaching staff.
A report from last week indicated Jets owner Woody Johnson was content with head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
As a result, the expectation remains that (at Rodgers’ behest, in part) both Saleh and Hackett will be in place at the start of the 2024 season. The same can be said of general manager Joe Douglas.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports there are no signs Johnson is looking to replace Douglas, putting him on track to remain in place just like the Saleh-Hackett pairing.
Douglas has been in place since 2019 with New York in his first general manager role. Prior to joining the Jets, he had a long tenure as a Ravens scout before working with the Bears and Eagles.
During Douglas’ reign, the Jets’ playoff drought has extended to 13 seasons, although that is due in part to a sustained rebuilding effort. The 2022 draft (which produced Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Jermaine Johnson and Breece Hall) has been celebrated as a strong class which will give the team foundational players on both sides of the ball for years to come. Misses in the draft have been present as well, though, of course.
The potentially franchise-altering decision to trade for Rodgers was borne in large part out of the inability of Zach Wilson to develop into a starter. The 2021 second overall pick has been benched multiple times, failing to find consistency after being forced back into the No. 1 role following Rodgers’ Week 1 Achilles tear. The latter will not play again this year, but he intends to return for at least one more season.
Hoping for better injury luck at the quarterback spot and offensive line in particular, the Jets are poised to run it back with the current decision-making core.
Douglas — who has received criticism for the team’s lack of a proven backup signal-caller and depth up front, especially ahead of Rodgers’ debut season in New York — will remain a key member of that group, having been publicly endorsed by Rodgers and given a tacit seal of approval from Johnson.
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