A little over a month ago, then New York Jets proprietor Woody Johnson fired head coach Robert SalehI spoke with a source with ties to the organization and the Johnson family. Because the source contextualizes the decision and framing this as an owner-directed moveHe turned the conversation to the future of the franchise and plotted what might happen to general manager Joe Douglas, interim head coach Jeff Ulbrch and the quarterback. Aaron Rodgers.

Overriding belief: If the Jets could have a strong showing the rest of the season and make the playoffs, it’s possible all three would still be a part of the team in 2025. Including a complete reboot of each team’s holy trinity (general manager, head coach and quarterback).

While investigating the thought process behind this, the source added an unexpected caveat.

“We’ll see how the (Presidential) election goes,” he told Yahoo Sports. “Maybe this will change things for everyone.”

The reference here was a possible election victory by Donald Trump; Many in the organization have long believed it could result in Johnson’s appointment to the cabinet or the renewal of his ambassadorial appointment to the United Kingdom. Trump’s last presidency. There were certainly those within the Jets who believed Johnson valued another ambassadorship as much as he valued the football team’s success; This created a perception where the longing for one job pressured the schedule and decisions of the other job.

Currently, the crossroads of the two worlds have reached a slightly different point; The idea that anything related to the Jets could be materially affected by a political appointment. In reality, this happened before Jets co-owner and executive vice president Christopher Johnson took control of the organization and became the man responsible for hiring Douglas in 2019 and Saleh in 2021 during Johnson’s physical absence. He’s not exactly in the dark about these moves, but both have been interpreted as Christopher Johnson hiring.

Now they’re both fired from Woody Johnson, first with Saleh last month and then with Douglas on Tuesday. The frames of each have interesting timing. Salih was fired after a while Week 5 loss to Minnesota Vikings in LondonWhen Johnson believed the team needed a spark for success or a final push, according to Ulbrich, who was his interim pick. At the time, the Jets were 2-3 but still playing solid defensive football amidst their offensive struggles. Six weeks later, with a 1-5 record and a defense suddenly falling apart after Saleh, the ax fell on Douglas.

While the timing seemed momentarily odd to the outside world, the feeling inside the building was decidedly different. There was one final push to make the Rodgers acquisition work – including a wide-ranging trade Davante Adams – and had failed. With Douglas’ contract expiring at the end of the season and no desire to bring him back, it was better to move on now for many reasons.

Among them, Woody was effectively sending the flag to the prospects, signaling that two openings in the holy trinity and a third potential opening (at quarterback) would likely be handed over to whoever gets the job. on tuesday The Athletic reports that Johnson suggested benching Aaron Rodgers after a meeting with a handful of coaches and managers. Ugly 10-9 Week 4 loss to Denver Broncos. Rodgers continued to start throughout the season, but with Douglas’ departure his future became more uncertain than ever.

While the Jets can’t interview possible candidates for GM and head coaching positions, they can move forward with whatever vetting process they choose, whether it’s ownership by having back-channel conversations with powerful representatives who refer coaching and executives to open positions, or engaging with them. A search firm or trusted advisors to find listings. The process can now be kicked into high gear.

It also kicks off a total reboot, putting all the major pillars in place before Johnson’s potential appointment is called from the White House or Trump’s former presidential headquarters at Mar-a-Lago. Make no mistake, Woody will want to be in control of solidifying everything this time. His decisions over the last five weeks make this clear.

This is where the next wave of potential job candidates should be paying attention because this is a complex brand of ownership that we’re seeing. First with the firing of Salih, then with the introduction of coaching responsibilities on top We take over as Ulbrich’s defense coordinator and begin a total rebuild that now feels like a political hour.

And now Rodgers has to be taken into account on many fronts amidst this wreckage: from Woody’s opinion of him remaining on the roster (which probably won’t be positive), to the $49 million salary cap hit if Rodgers moves on to the roster. He was released for the prayers of the players who will be kicked out with him if he is no longer in the plans.

Let’s unpack all this. The first is the firing of Salih and the transfer of duties to Ulbrich. Although Ulbrich earned the respect of the players, it was not a popular thing in the Jets’ locker room. Woody may have gone to Saleh. Maybe Rodgers was too. However, this change did not trigger anything significant within the organization. If anything, it may have contributed to this. The “flat” energy that Rodgers occasionally talks about in the last six weeks. On top of that, it was tactically unsound to put Ulbrich in a position he had never been in before but also expect him to fully assume the job of defensive coordinator. In this dual role, the Jets’ defense got worse.

As for starting the rebuild of the organization, this will be with a considerable base of young and very talented players that Douglas has selected, which will likely form the initial backbone of the next regime’s offense and defense. That doesn’t mean there isn’t some discussion about parting ways with Douglas. He had about six years to get the organization back on track, and that window was shortened by a major drafting mistake at quarterback and then an all-in on Rodgers that was poised to pay off until the moment Rodgers tore his Achilles. A few photos for the 2023 season.

Instead of litigating Douglas’ record again, I’ll just say this: He made draft mistakes, but he also had plenty of draft success; lost a few trades but also won some big trades, most importantly posting safety Jamal Adams to Seattle Seahawks for a bushel of valuables; He actively rubber-stamped some key talents that the Jets ultimately failed to acquire (Tyreek Hill et al); and tried to fix the biggest mistake of his tenure: drafting Zach Wilson In the class of egregious quarterback mistakes – with the biggest hit on his hands, Rodgers replaced Wilson in the sequence of carries that then went sideways.

There were circumstances beyond his control that poisoned his efforts, but such is life for all NFL general managers. Some survive, some don’t. Some turn to media jobs or quit football altogether. Others do what they can on their resumes to get back on the staff ladder elsewhere. I think Douglas will come back.

When it comes to who will take over the Jets’ football hierarchy, there’s a lot to discuss this offseason. Johnson has become more involved than ever before in one season. First by firing a coach in the middle of the season, and then by firing a general manager. Neither decision made him a better team owner; involved proprietor. Depending on how the winds of political appointments blow over the next few months, maybe it will be until it isn’t.

Going back, the Jets look like this: A team with top-tier talent, some major holes to fill, and no real answer at quarterback; an ownership rung that sometimes seems desperate, hasty and uncertain that Johnson will be calling the shots when next season begins; a fan base that would rather gargle battery acid than repeat another breakdown cycle; and there is a general perception throughout the NFL that this is a bad organization and should be prioritized if other good options are available.

All Echoing Bill Belichick’s words On ESPN’s Manningcast in October: “It was like that with the Jets; It has barely won more than 30 percent of the vote in the last 10 years. Because the owner is the owner, just…ready, fire, aim.”

Belichick is a coaching candidate in the next cycle. What he sees is what most people will see. And this should concern anyone considering changing their career path through this organization.