Potential candidates to replace Joe Douglas as Jets general manager

Gang Green is officially looking for new leadership in its front office.

Last week, during their bye, Jets owner Woody Johnson fired general manager Joe Douglas with six games left in the season.

Douglas was in the final year of a six-year contract he signed in 2019.

On Monday, the Jets announced they’ve hired The 33rd Team to help conduct both their general manager and coaching searches after Robert Saleh was also fired on Oct. 8. This will be the first time since 2015 that the Jets are looking to hire both positions.

Most teams in this situation typically hire the general manager before hiring the coach. The Jets cannot interview a general manager or a coaching candidate on another team until the end of the regular season.

Here are some possible candidates for the Jets general manager role.

Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew

After his 11-season NFL career (1990-2000) was over, Agnew joined the Rams front office and moved up the ranks. He spent four years as the Rams director of pro scouting and was a member of the Rams scouting staff for 18 seasons before becoming the Lions assistant general manager in 2021.

Agnew’s son, Ray Agnew III, currently works as a pro scout with the Jets organization. If Agnew were the Jets’ general manager choice, he could potentially bring one of the top Lions coordinators with him.

Both Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn are considered to be hot coaching candidates during the offseason. Glenn also played for the Jets for eight seasons and likely would have some interest in returning to the team that drafted him.

Since Agnew and executive vice president and general manager Brad Holmes arrived, the Lions have completely turned around their organization. Last season, the Lions made it to the NFC Championship before losing to the 49ers. A year later, the Lions have the best record in the league (11-1).

Former Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff

If the Jets want a candidate with previous general manager experience, Dimitroff makes some sense. He served as the Falcons’ general manager from 2008 to 20. Before that, he was with the Patriots organization for six years.

During his time in Atlanta, Dimitroff helped the Falcons reach Super Bowl LI before losing to the Falcons. He also helped build the foundation of those Falcons teams by drafting quarterback Matt Ryan and wide receiver Julio Jones. In 2020, Dimitroff and Dan Quinn were both fired after the Falcons began that season 0-5.

Since 2022, Dimitroff has been working in analytics.

Chiefs assistant general manager Mike Borgonzi

Before the Jets hired them, the 33rd Team mentioned Borgonzi as a potential general manager candidate, and for good reason. He has been with the Chiefs organization for 16 seasons, and Borgonzi was promoted to assistant general manager in 2021 after three seasons as the director of football operations (2018-20).

Borgonzi works closely with Chiefs general manager Brett Veach regarding roster management and free agency. He also directs the club’s college and professional scouting operations.

The Chiefs have won three Super Bowls since 2019, so why wouldn’t the Jets be interested in mirroring some of that success?

NFL executive Dawn Aponte

Last offseason, Aponte interviewed for the Chargers’ vacant general manager position that eventually went to Joe Hortiz. She could potentially be a general manager candidate once again, especially for an organization she knows well.

During her time with the Jets (1994-2006), Aponte was promoted from accountant to senior director of football administration.

After leaving the organization, Aponte became the Browns’ vice president of football administration (2010-11), the Dolphins’ senior vice president of football operations (2010-12), and later their executive vice president of football administration (2012-16). She has been working in the NFL offices since 2017 as the chief administrator of football operations.

If Aponte were to become the Jets’ general manager, she would be the league’s first female general manager.

ESPN analyst Louis Riddick

Over the years, Riddick has interviewed for general manager roles with the Giants, Lions, Texans, and Steelers. He worked in the Washington and Philadelphia front offices before becoming a TV analyst in 2014.

Earlier this week, former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III campaigned for the Jets to hire Riddick on X/Twitter.

“The Jets need a GM who the media will respect and if they don’t he won’t give a damn. That’s @LRiddickESPN,” Griffin said in the post. “Louis has deep knowledge of the college prospects, evolution of the pro game and has zero doubt in what a team needs to build a champion. Let him pick his coach and his QB.”

Riddick has not worked in an NFL front office since 2013, but his knowledge about football on both the pro and college level is unmatched.