Jets hire Darren Mougey as general manager, complete hierarchy overhaul
NEW YORK -- The New York Jets' exhaustive search for a new general manager ended Saturday with the hiring of Denver Broncos assistant GM Darren Mougey.
Mougey, one of 15 known candidates the Jets interviewed for the position, will now team with newly-hired head coach Aaron Glenn on the challenging mission of turning around a franchise that has not made the playoffs in 14 years, the longest current run of futility among teams in the four major North American professional sports leagues.
The Jets plan to introduce both Mougey and Glenn at a press conference Monday afternoon.
"Darren is a trusted NFL executive who has experience working with an impressive collection of football leaders," Jets Chairman Woody Johnson said in a statement. "He is a proven talent evaluator who impressed us with his vision for this team. His partnership with Coach Glenn will revitalize this organization. I am proud of the thorough search we undertook and that it led us to the two best individuals to lead our football team going forward."
Mougey, Washington Commanders assistant GM Lance Newmark, and Cincinnati Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown were the only GM candidates invited back for second interviews.
A daunting task ahead
The Jets last made the playoffs at the conclusion of the 2010 season, when they advanced to the second of back-to-back AFC championship games. Since then, they have a combined record of 82-146, with just one winning season -- 10-6 back in 2015.
"It is one of the great honors and privileges of my life to serve as the general manager of the New York Jets," Mougey said in a statement. "I want to thank Mr. Johnson for this responsibility, one I do not take lightly. I could not be more excited to work alongside Coach Glenn to build a championship team that will make Jets fans proud."
The to-do list for Mougey and Glenn is daunting, with decisions required on several key aspects of the team on both sides of the ball, including, most notably, what to do at the most important position on the field.
Mougey will likely be looking for the Jets' next franchise quarterback as early as this year's draft, regardless if 41-year-old future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers returns. The Jets currently have the seventh pick in the first round of what is not considered the deepest draft at the position.
Rodgers has hinted at retirement, but has also kept the door open for a return for the last year of his contract, provided he's amenable to what the team's plans are for the offense. All of the candidates for GM were almost certainly asked what they thought of Rodgers' situation, but it's not known what the consensus was.
In addition to figuring out quarterback, the Jets will have numerous roster spots to fill as many of their high-priced players on expiring contracts are not expected to return and others with term could be released as salary cap casualties. According to Overthecap.com, the Jets currently have a little less than $21 million in available space for 2025.
What to know about Jets GM Darren Mougey
Mougey, 39, joined the Broncos organization in 2013 after playing for parts of two seasons in the NFL as a wide receiver with the Atlanta Falcons and the Arizona Cardinals in 2009 and 2010, respectively.
With Denver, Mougey rose through the ranks, first as a personnel and scouting assistant before being promoted to director of player personnel in 2021 and then assistant to GM George Paton in 2022.
In an interview with SI.com that year, Paton cited Mougey's "attention to detail, his work ethic, his knowledge of the league and his knowledge of the pro and college [levels]" as many of the reasons for his rise up the organizational ladder.
"He has a great pulse of what's going on out there. The best thing he does is he is a great manager of people, and he has a great demeanor throughout the building while dealing with the coaches, players, and agents out there," Paton added.
Like the recent success of the Lions and Commanders, the Broncos emerged this season, winning 10 games and ending an eight-year playoff drought. Denver's season came to a screeching halt with a 31-7 road loss to the Buffalo Bills in the wild card round.
A look back at the Jets' 2024 season
Even with Rodgers back and fully healthy following the Achilles tear just four plays into the 2023 opener, the Jets finished 5-12 this season.
Rodgers put up decent numbers by his lofty standards, throwing for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns, with only 11 interceptions, but the Jets' offense often struggled in the red zone, their defense failed to live up to the hype, and there were plenty of questions about accountability along the way.
All of it contributed to head coach Robert Saleh's ouster following a 2-3 start. GM Joe Douglas was relieved of his duties after the team's record fell to 3-8.