The New York Jets are cleaning house. Six weeks after firing head coach Robert Saleh, the Jets have canned general manager Joe Douglas. Senior football advisor Phil Savage will now serve as New York’s interim GM for the remainder of the season.
Gang Green’s next general manager will face a bevy of questions. Who’s the next head coach? What is Aaron Rodgers’ future? Are new deals for WR Garrett Wilson and CB Sauce Gardner in the works?
Let’s run through the top 20 candidates to replace Douglas as the Jets’ general manager in 2025.
Best Candidates To Replace Joe Douglas as Jets GM
Alec Halaby, Asst. GM, Philadelphia Eagles
Minnesota Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has cleared the way for other teams to consider candidates who rose the analytic/operations ranks instead of taking a scouting track, and Alec Halaby could be at the top of that list.
No club is more creative with salary cap maneuvers and roster machinations than the Eagles, and Halaby has been in Philadelphia in some capacity since 2007. He started to hit the interview circuit after being promoted to assistant GM in 2022, interviewing with the Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders in 2024.
Mike Borgonzi, Asst. GM, Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs have been one of the NFL’s most successful franchises over the past decade, so it’s no surprise that former executives such as Chris Ballard and Ryan Poles have landed GM gigs.
Mike Borgonzi, promoted to assistant general manager in 2021 after spending three seasons as the Chiefs’ director of football operations, could be the next K.C. staff member to find a top job.
Borgonzi was in the running to replace fired general manager John Dorsey in 2017, but the role ultimately went to Brett Veach, who was sharing K.C.’s co-director of player personnel role with him. Borgonzi met with the Commanders regarding their GM vacancy before Washington hired Adam Peters earlier this year.
Will McClay, VP of Player Personnel, Dallas Cowboys
While Jerry Jones is nominally the Dallas Cowboys general manager, Will McClay is the wizard behind the team’s string of player acquisition success.
McClay, who has run the Cowboys’ drafts for the past decade, has added All-Pro-level talent like Zack Martin, CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs, Micah Parsons, and Tyler Smith in the first round while finding contributors on Days 2 and 3.
McClay generates GM interest around the NFL every offseason. The Panthers, Chargers, and Commanders wanted to interview him for their vacant roles during the 2024 hiring cycle, but he again declined meetings in favor of remaining in Dallas.
Could the Jets make McClay change his mind?
Ian Cunningham, Asst. GM, Chicago Bears
Ian Cunningham spent nearly a decade working under legendary Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome — “The reason I’m here is because of Ozzie,” Cunningham said in 2022 — before becoming Howie Roseman’s lieutenant with the Eagles.
Now an assistant GM under Poles in Chicago, Cunningham was reportedly offered the Arizona Cardinals’ general manager job in 2023 but turned it down. He also interviewed for the Titans’ GM gig twice before Tennessee hired Ran Carthon and met with the Chargers and Commanders in 2024.
Ed Dodds and Morocco Brown, Asst. GM/Chief Personnel Executive, Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts have tried to reset their franchise by hiring Shane Steichen and drafting Anthony Richardson, but their success could eventually lead to a front-office brain drain.
Ed Dodds has been asked to interview for nine GM openings since 2020. He’s accepted some requests and declined others but hasn’t yet left Indianapolis.
Morocco Brown met with the Steelers, Bears, and Falcons over the past two offseasons and also interviewed for an assistant GM job with the Eagles before the Colts promoted him to chief personnel executive in 2022.
Mike Disner and Ray Agnew, COO/Asst. GM, Detroit Lions
No team has executed its rebuild better than the Detroit Lions, and teams around the league will want a piece of the club’s front-office talent.
Mike Disner works on Detroit’s football and business sides and was instrumental in hiring GM Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell in 2021. He’s an outside-the-box candidate, but the Panthers were interested enough to request an interview with Disner this offseason (he declined).
Ray Agnew is strictly football. A former top-10 pick as a defensive tackle, Agnew followed Holmes from the Rams to the Lions, where he’s helped construct one of the NFL’s best rosters.
Catherine Raîche and Glenn Cook, Asst. GMs, Cleveland Browns
Catherine Raîche is only 34 years old but is on track to become the NFL’s first female general manager. A former high-ranking exec with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts, Raîche worked with the Eagles before coming to Cleveland in 2022. She interviewed for the Vikings’ GM position before Minnesota hired Adofo-Mensah.
Raîche isn’t the only Browns assistant GM who’s generated interest around the league. Gleen Cook took meetings with the Vikings, Bears, Titans, and Commanders over the past three offseasons and will likely be on shortlists again in 2025.
Brandt Tilis, Executive VP of Football Operations, Carolina Panthers
Brandt Tilis interviewed for Carolina’s GM gig this offseason but eventually signed on as executive vice president of football operations. He previously worked for the Chiefs as a contract analyst, director of salary cap and football operations analytics, and director of football administration before ending his K.C. career as vice president of football operations.
While Tilis may prefer building something with the Panthers, a promotion to join a massive media market with the Jets could be appealing.
Champ Kelly, Asst. GM, Las Vegas Raiders
Champ Kelly, who’s worked in NFL front offices since 2007, has been at the forefront of general manager searches over the past two offseasons, but he’s yet to land a GM position. He interviewed with the Panthers and Broncos in 2021, the Bears and Raiders in 2022, and the Panthers and Raiders in 2024.
Promoted to Las Vegas’ interim GM role following the firing of Dave Ziegler, Kelly became the Raiders’ assistant general manager after the club hired Tom Telesco to helm the personnel department.
John Spytek, Asst. GM, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It wasn’t just Tom Brady’s presence that allowed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win Super Bowl 55. Tampa Bay also hit on draft picks and built a deep roster that included both stars and depth pieces.
John Spytek, GM Jason Licht’s right-hand man, played a prominent role in rebuilding the Bucs’ talent base. Recent early-round draft picks like OT Luke Goedeke and DT Calijah Kancey settled in as long-term contributors, while the club’s decision to replace Brady with Baker Mayfield looks like a masterstroke.
Trent Kirchner, VP of Player Personnel, Seattle Seahawks
Trent Kirchner has been mentioned as a GM candidate for the better part of a decade, but he’s only interviewed for two jobs (Colts in 2017, Texans in 2021). He’s heavily involved in Seattle’s decision-making process alongside general manager John Schneider, so Kirchner may not want to leave the Seahawks unless a perfect opportunity arises.
Dave Sears, Asst. GM, Arizona Cardinals
Now in his 28th season as an NFL executive, Dave Sears has helped the Cardinals overhaul their roster over the past couple of years. Working under GM Monti Ossenfort, he’s been integral in revamping Arizona’s scouting process.
For decades, the Cardinals had hired in-house front office staff. As such, Sears now has first-hand experience reworking a stagnant personnel culture.
Lance Newmark, Asst. GM, Washington Commanders
Everyone will want a piece of the Commanders’ brain trust after their surprising 2024 turnaround. First-year general manager Adam Peters is on track to win the NFL’s Executive of the Year award, and Lance Newmark is the next name on the club’s staffing directory.
Newmark spent years in the Lions’ scouting department and, beginning in 2021, helped usher in Holmes’ vision for the club. Commanders senior VP of football operations Brandon Sosna could also draw GM interest around the league.
Terrance Gray, VP of Player Personnel, Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills seamlessly transitioned away from aging veterans this offseason, somehow getting younger while also getting better.
Terrance Gray has been essential in Buffalo’s talent acquisition process, joining the staff in college scouting before shifting to pro personnel in 2022. He landed interviews with the Raiders and Chargers earlier this year.
Brandon Brown, Asst. GM, New York Giants
Brandon Brown has been a popular candidate in recent GM cycles, meeting with the Vikings in 2022 and the Panthers and Chargers in 2024. He received two interviews with Los Angeles this year and was, at one point, considered the favorite to land the job before the Bolts hired Joe Hortiz.
The Giants’ recent string of personnel failures — re-signing Daniel Jones, letting Saquon Barkley walk — may have dimmed Brown’s star, but he’s clearly respected around the NFL.
Nick Matteo, VP of Football Administration, Baltimore Ravens
Former Ravens executive Hortiz landed the Chargers’ GM job this offseason, but he’s not the only Baltimore staffer who’s made the GM rounds recently.
Nick Matteo interviewed for the Panthers’ top job over the offseason. He previously worked for the league in labor operations and has only been with the Ravens since 2019. The fact that he’s already receiving interviews is impressive, but Matteo may need to wait a few years before moving into the GM chair.
Andy Weidl, Asst. GM, Pittsburgh Steelers
Talk about a résumé. Andy Weidl has worked in the front offices of the Ravens, Eagles, and Steelers — three of the NFL’s more well-respected teams.
Weidl interviewed (twice) for Pittsbugh’s GM position in 2022 and then decided to join the Steelers as Omar Khan’s right-hand man.