Joe Douglas felt ‘relief’ after Jets firing and even went fishing: ‘Happiest he’s sounded’

Joe Douglas wasn’t too upset after being canned by the Jets on Tuesday. 

The team’s ex-general manager felt a sense of “relief” after being fired by the Jets, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, who spoke to an NFL executive close to Douglas. 

Douglas, who spent five-plus seasons as the Jets GM, was reportedly fishing on the Jersey Shore just hours after losing the job. 

“It’s the happiest he’s sounded in a long time,” the executive told Russini. 

Robert Saleh, on the other hand, was reportedly a bit more cut up about Douglas’ dismissal. 

The ex-Jets head coach, who was fired in early October, was “very upset and emotional” after hearing the news about Douglas and had assumed the franchise would let him finish out the season, per the report. 

Like Saleh, many around the league were surprised at the timing of the GM change, but sources told Russini that Douglas “knew change was coming.”

Davante Adams was not particularly shocked either.

“It’s surprising but it’s not, just because you know the way this game goes,” Adams the Jets wide receiver said on FanDuel TV’s “Up & Adams” this week. “When games aren’t being won and things don’t look the way they were intended to look, something’s gotta change.”

Douglas is the latest casualty in what has been a disastrous 2024 season for the Jets. 

After coming into the year with Super Bowl aspirations, Gang Green is 3-8 as they rest during their bye week, tied with the Patriots for the worst record in the AFC East. 

Since Douglas took the job in 2019, the Jets are 30-64, which is tied with the Jaguars for the second-worst record in the NFL over that period.

The Jets will next play the Seahawks and former Gang Green QB Geno Smith next Sunday at MetLife Stadium.