It appears that NFL people are far less concerned about working under New York Jets chairman Woody Johnson than previously thought.
On Thursday, the Jets finally made some additions to their front office under new general manager Darren Mougey. After parting ways with two senior executives earlier this week, the Jets filled one spot while adding a much-needed veteran presence.
Rick Spielman joins the fold
The big veteran splash comes in the form of Rick Spielman. The man himself, on his podcast, “With the First Pick,” announced he would be joining the Jets as a senior advisor.
Spielman, 62, made it crystal clear that his new role would be that of a consultant, what he described as a “sounding board.”
“Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey are the final decision-makers,” Spielman said.
Spielman brings over three decades of front-office experience to a team that needs it. Critically, Spielman spent 10 years as the Minnesota Vikings general manager (2012-2021) and one in the same role with the Miami Dolphins (2004).
Spielman will take on a role similar to the one his brother Chris Spielman executes with the Detroit Lions. Chris was interviewed by the Jets to be their general manager for his contribution to the Lions’ turnaround.
Considering Mougey’s relative lack of experience, landing someone with this much experience is monstrous. Remember, Spielman was Mike Tannenbaum’s right-hand man in The 33rd Team’s advisory role to Woody Johnson’s head coach and general manager search.
Jets tab Rob Paton as Greg Nejmeh’s replacement
In addition to Spielman, the Jets also added former Denver Broncos scout Rob Paton to the front office, per Mike Klis of 9NEWS in Denver, CO.
Paton replaces the recently departing Greg Nejmeh as co-director of player personnel. The bonafide youngster and rising star has been with the Broncos since 2017, four years before his uncle George Paton became general manager.
Prior to that, Rob was a scouting analyst at UCLA and played safety in college. His strong scouting background will be a massive benefit as the Jets prepare for the 2025 NFL draft.
The new era is underway
Slowly but surely, Darren Mougey and the Jets are rebuilding the front office to match their vision. This is a tall task for a team that has the longest postseason drought in major professional North American sports.
Across the Jets’ various hires, a consistent trend is evident: Each individual’s football passion is obvious.
Mougey, Spielman, and Paton all played football at the college level before quickly transitioning to management. The same is true for the Jets coaching staff, reinforcing the team’s vision for football-minded leadership.
Time will tell whether that passion translates to success, but it’s a good start.
Both have strong connections across the NFL, which will help the Jets build a strong staff. There will likely be more changes in the coming weeks to months, but Mougey is finally putting his staff together.
