Antwan Staley: Pressure is on for Jets to right the ship, or big changes are coming for ’25

Following a loss to the Vikings in London earlier this month, Jets owner Woody Johnson suddenly fired coach Robert Saleh and made defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich the interim coach after the team began the season 2-3

That decision, at least to this point, has come back to bite Johnson. Gang Green has lost both games since Saleh’s firing and four consecutive games overall.

Now, the Jets are at 2-5 and will need a terrific finish to make the playoffs and to compete for a Super Bowl, a goal many players expressed during the offseason and training camp.

Judging by the 2023 standings, the Jets will likely need to finish 8-2 in their final 10 games to have a chance at the playoffs. In a critical season, not making the playoffs would have a ripple effect on the players, front office and the rest of the coaching staff.

IMPACT ON THE FRONT OFFICE

Jets general manager Joe Douglas signed a six-year contract in 2019. That means his deal will expire after the 2024 season.

Gang Green has not made the playoffs during Douglas’ tenure, or since 2010 for that matter, which is the longest playoff drought in North American sports. Johnson has already fired Saleh, whom Douglas hired in 2021. If the Jets continue their downward spiral, it’s hard to imagine Douglas being re-signed to a new contract.

Douglas has improved the Jets roster after it was completely depleted before his arrival. He added foundational pieces such as drafting cornerback Sauce Gardner, wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall during the 2022 NFL Draft.

But if the Jets miss the playoffs for the 14th consecutive season, Douglas will be remembered for his misses instead of his golden class of 2022. A year before drafting Gardner, Wilson and Hall, Douglas and the Jets selected QB Zach Wilson as the second overall pick out of BYU, who was a massive disappointment.

Douglas also traded for Aaron Rodgers in 2023, but that hasn’t worked out the way many expected. Rodgers tore his Achilles four plays into his debut and missed the rest of that season. Rodgers returned healthy this year, but he looks like a much different player from his days in Green Bay. For one, Rodgers is less than two months from turning 41 and has struggled this season with consistency and even accuracy at times.

If Douglas is gone after the season, Ulbrich will likely not be the Jets’ permanent coach moving forward.

COACHING STAFF

Speaking of Ulbrich, surprisingly, he did not receive a single interview for an NFL job last offseason after the Jets registered back-to-back seasons with top-five defenses in the league. So, these final 10 games are Ulbrich’s auditions to show he can be a coach in the league.

Ulbrich’s first two games as Jets interim coach have been disappointing. After losing back-to-back games to the Bills and Steelers, Gang Green faces a must-win on the road against the Patriots on Sunday.

His defense hasn’t played well the last two weeks. In the 27-15 loss to the Steelers, the defense allowed a season-high in points and yards (409).

Not only that, Ulbrich’s change in offensive play-callers from Nathaniel Hackett to Todd Downing has yet to improve the production. The Jets are averaging 17.5 points per game in two games with Downing calling plays, compared to 18.8 points per game in the Jets’ five games of the season.

Even if Ulbrich does turn the Jets around, the coaching staff will probably undergo some changes. But at this rate, the entire staff could be gone if the struggles continue.

Potential Jets coaching candidates in 2025 include Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Browns coaching consultant Mike Vrabel, Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, and former Jets cornerback and current Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

ROSTER CHANGES

Back to Rodgers. He is on the verge of having one of his worst seasons in recent memory.

In seven games, Rodgers has already thrown seven interceptions. In his 15 complete seasons as a starter with the Packers, Rodgers threw seven interceptions or fewer 10 times. He has thrown double-digit interceptions three times and is on pace to do so again this season.

Not only is Rodgers struggling, but so is the Jets offense. They rank 23rd in yards (307) and 24th in points per game (18.3). During OTAs, Rodgers told reporters, “If I don’t do what I know I’m capable of doing, we’re all probably going to be out of here [after the season].”

Rodgers is likely correct about that. It’s hard to envision Rodgers sticking around at his age with a new coach who would likely want to rebuild or retool the roster. And if Rodgers is gone, wide receiver Davante Adams, who was just acquired in a trade from the Raiders last week, will likely be out the door.

Adams is on the books for $35.64 million in base salaries for 2025 and 2026. If he stays, the Jets must restructure his contract.

The Jets must look for a long-term quarterback solution no matter what happens with Rodgers. Currently, the Jets would pick fifth in the 2025 NFL Draft, putting them in position to draft players like Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward, Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers, or LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.

Cornerback D.J. Reed, tight end Tyler Conklin, right tackle Morgan Moses and safety Tony Adams are among the starters who are free agents. So, the Jets roster could look completely different in 2025 if they cannot turn it around.

The Jets still have time to turn their season around. But it’s not early anymore, as the 2024 season is approaching the halfway point.

Everything is at stake for Douglas, Rodgers, Ulbrich, and many other players on the roster during the final 10 games of the season.