Most New York Jets fans have used the last few weeks of the NFL season to criticize their own front office process. Detractors point to the organization’s failure to make coaching changes despite a 3-14 first season as proof that their team will never figure things out.
Not so fast.
What if the turmoil Jets fans think their franchise is dealing with is nowhere near the rest of the league?
From a coaching search in East Rutherford that needed specific changes to the reporting structure to a Super Bowl team 12 months ago, ready to tear it all down, there are plenty of dysfunctional organizations in the NFL.
In other words, it’s not a uniquely New York Jets issue.
Championship turmoil
Some fans mistake dysfunction in the front office for losing. That isn’t always the case, though. Just look at what is going on with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Not even a full calendar year since winning the Super Bowl, the Eagles have had questions regarding their head coach, quarterback, and top wide receiver. Seriously.
“For all that the quarterback (Jalen Hurts) has accomplished, including two standout performances on the sport’s biggest stage (one of which earned him Super Bowl MVP honors), he has been the source of much internal frustration, including from teammates other than A.J. Brown,” Michael Silver of The Athletic wrote in a column on Friday.
Sports talk radio in Philadelphia, dysfunctional as always, has openly pushed for the team to have a new quarterback as well.
There’s no sports city where a Super Bowl can be won in a calendar year, and a few months later, there are calls to burn the whole thing down. It’s dysfunction at the highest level, especially considering there are clearly people in the front office who are quick to criticize players anonymously.
It makes what the Jets have dealt with look perfectly normal.
That isn’t the only case recently, either.
The New York Giants have been celebrated across the league for their hiring of head coach John Harbaugh. However, the intricacies surrounding his hire and the length of time it took to reach the final push highlight what is wrong in East Rutherford.
Big Blue’s front-office structure was such that the head coach reported to the general manager, who in turn reported to the owner. It’s an extremely rare front-office structure that ended up being heavily negotiated by Harbaugh.
The fact that it took multiple days for Harbaugh to even officially sign his contract, even though negotiations were ongoing, is further proof that the Jets aren’t the only team dealing with dysfunctional front offices.
Contrary to what fans may believe, organizational turmoil is not a purely New York Jets trait. It runs rampant around NFL organizations, and it’s the best overall example for Gang Green moving forward.