We’d all like a guardian angel to look over us.
Joe Douglas’ guardian angel is Aaron Rodgers.
It’s why the face of the Jets’ general manager lit up when Rodgers was brought up in conversation Tuesday in his annual trade-deadline-day meeting with reporters at the team facility.
Rodgers, of course, made it through only four offensive plays of the season opener before he ruptured his left Achilles tendon and doomed his first year in green, though he’s vowed to return to play before the end of the season.
Douglas was so stoked about Rodgers that he nearly unwittingly set the internet on fire when he said, “We’re excited to see him progress through his rehab. Certainly, we’ll all be excited when he’s back in the fold. We’re expecting Aaron to be back.’’
Playing this year?
“With the team,’’ Douglas clarified when asked to elaborate on his initial comment. “I have no timeline [for his return]. No, I’m not putting anything out there like that. I don’t have any breaking news for you on that.’’
The fact is this, though: By Rodgers publicly remaining all-in with this team and making it abundantly clear that he’s not only planning to play for the Jets in 2024 but before the end of this season, he represents a free pass of sorts for Douglas.
Does that mean Douglas has done a poor job?
Not at all.
But the results haven’t suggested that he’s done a masterful job, either. Douglas was hired and given a six-year contract in the middle of 2019. The team, coached by Adam Gase, went 2-14 in Douglas’ first full season here in 2020 and was 4-13 in 2021, Robert Saleh’s first season. The Jets finished 7-10 last season after the team was 7-4 and lost its final six games.
The first thing that gets general managers fired is missing on a franchise quarterback with a high draft pick. And so far, Douglas has done exactly that with his choice of Zach Wilson at No. 2 overall three years ago.
The previous man in Douglas’ position, Mike Maccagnan, missed on Sam Darnold at No. 3 overall in 2018, and he took a controversial flier on Christian Hackenberg with the second pick of the second round in 2016. Darnold never stuck as a starter and remains a journeyman backup. Hackenberg never played a single down in an NFL game and was out of the league in two years. And Maccagnan is out of a job.
Those draft whiffs at quarterback ended up being the downfall of Maccagnan, who didn’t have a guardian angel.
Before Maccagnan was John Idzik, who was asked to leave after two years for myriad misgivings, but he drafted Geno Smith to replace Mark Sanchez. Smith’s career was a mess with the Jets, but of course, he’s currently flourishing in a career renaissance with the Seahawks.
Wilson was well on his way to jeopardizing Douglas’ job security until the Jets convinced Rodgers to sign on with them this offseason.
And now, regardless of where this season — currently at 4-3 entering Monday’s home game against the Chargers — finishes, the mere specter of Rodgers playing in 2024 pretty much guarantees that Douglas will be back for the fifth year of his contract next season.
This, in no way, is to suggest that he shouldn’t be.
Despite being wrong about Wilson so far — barring him becoming one of the great late-bloomers in NFL history — and his surprising inability to secure a consistent offensive line, even though that was his unquestioned strength in background when he was hired, Douglas deserves a lot of credit for many of the players who are key current members of the roster.
He’s unearthed some terrific players, with undrafted defensive lineman Bryce Huff, who’s developed into one of the best pass rushers in the league, as Exhibit A. Douglas signed Quincy Williams, who’d been waived by Jacksonville two years ago, and all he’s done is become one of the most active linebackers in the league. His signing of free-agent cornerback D.J. Reed has been a huge gain.
Outside of the quarterback, Douglas has drafted players who figure to be cornerstones of the roster for years, if not stars in the league, including cornerback Sauce Gardner, receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall.
Even with those positives, everything right now revolves around Rodgers, whose mere presence has kept hope alive for the Jets — if not for this year, for next. Rodgers’ carefully choreographed pregame tosses before home games and having him on the sideline with a headset represents eye candy for the team and its fans.
“When he’s out there in pregame, when he’s around the team, it’s just good having him in the building,’’ Douglas said of his guardian angel.