Let me count the ways GM Joe Douglas isn’t measuring up. He can’t afford another misstep, and that’s why the Haason Reddick situation needs to be resolved.
Joe Douglas has done some good things during his tenure as the team’s general manager. His best move was the Draft Class of 2022, which produced Sauce Gardner, Jermaine Johnson II, Breece Hall, and Michael Clemons.
That said, there are more positives than negatives regarding Douglas’s performance, and if he is let go at the season’s end, consider it the accumulated effect of these five situations.
–Hiring Robert Saleh as the Jets’ head coach, a defensive guy when the cards were stacked for naming an offensive specialist. Saleh’s 18-33 record speaks for itself.
–Drafting quarterback Zach Wilson as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. That decision looks much worse today than it did then—and back then, it was a head-turning choice. It might be the worst quarterback in franchise history.
–Douglas was hired for his offensive line expertise but has not drafted or fielded a competent offensive line under his watch. Due to injuries and ineffective play, the Jets used 12 different O-line combos last season. Yes, that’s 12!
–His record. The Jets are 27-56 under Douglas without a single playoff appearance.
–Trading for Haason Reddick this offseason after the Eagles traded the pass rusher for being unhappy with his contract. What did Reddick then do? He’s holding out as a Jet.
There was no reason to acquire Reddick, even after the Jets gave up for a 2026 third-round pick that can become a second-round pick if specific terms are met. The Jets’ defensive line is already good as it is. They even have enough depth based on how well last year’s draft pick, Will McDonald, played this preseason. They would have been better off re-signing Bryce Huff and not trading John Franklin-Myers.
Douglas and Reddick (graphic courtesy Jets-X)
So, what’s the story? I think it’s about Douglas being attracted to a shiny toy that he had to get, and now he is getting burned. We have no idea when Reddick will end his holdout, and it looks like it will extend into the season.
It’s fair to wonder if Reddick wanted to be a Jet in the first place. That said, Douglas is right about not giving in to Reddick. He is under contract and should play under its conditions. To issue a new deal would set a precedent, and other Jets could demand the same. Besides, the team can get by without Reddick.
I think it’s ridiculous for Douglas to tell Reddick to come to camp so they can talk about a contract. I know this will be moot if the Jets have a winning season and make the playoffs. However, if the team gets off to a poor start or if the defense starts mediocre, there will be questions about the Jets’ handling of Reddick and why it got to this point in the first place, including questions about why Huff and Franklin-Myers had to go.
If the Reddick situation doesn’t get resolved soon, Haason’s name may be what’s written on Joe Douglas’s epitaph–as the last mistake Douglas made as Jets general manager.
