With the New York Jets firing general manager Joe Douglas yesterday, the team is entering full rebuilding mode with a new head coach, new general manager, and maybe even a new quarterback on the way in 2025. The Jets have been a dumpster fire of an organization pretty much ever since they lost to the Steelers in the 2010 AFC Championship game, having had five different head coaches and five different general managers during that span.
Given the Jets’ futility, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler admits that New York’s GM job is not the “most desirable” opening but noted that the candidate pool should be strong given that GMs have longer tenures than head coaches. Fowler listed a handful of candidates who could be a target for the Jets, and one of them was Pittsburgh Steelers assistant general manager Andy Weidl.
Fowler specifically looked at executives who play “a pivotal role in the roster building and culture of contenders,” and Weidl certainly fits that bill. Coming over from the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022, Weidl, along with GM Omar Khan, has helped transform the Steelers in the trenches, building strong offensive and defensive lines through the draft and free agency. He has a hand in constructing the roster and setting the draft board, and he’s been mentioned as a general manager candidate in the past.
One reason why the Jets might not be a fit for Weidl is his relationship with Douglas. The two came up together with the Baltimore Ravens and later worked together with the Philadelphia Eagles. Weidl replaced Douglas as Philadelphia’s VP of Player Personnel after Douglas got the Jets’ GM job, and Douglas later spoke glowingly of Weidl’s fingerprints being on the Eagles’ 2022 roster that made it to the Super Bowl.
Given that the two of them go way back, Weidl could hear from Douglas on why he shouldn’t take the job, or he simply might not be interested because New York fired someone who was once a close colleague. Weidl was one of seven names that Fowler listed, and New York will likely get started on its search sooner rather than later. Of course, if the Jets are targeting executives from contenders, they’ll likely need to wait to conduct in-person interviews until after the season ends anyway, so it’s a process that should still take some time.
We’ll find out if Weidl winds up being seriously considered as a candidate, but given his close ties to Douglas, I would ultimately be surprised if it’s the direction New York and Weidl want to go.
