How Rick Spielman Could Influence New York Jets’ General Manager Search

The New York Jets need a new general manager and a former GM, Rick Spielman, could influence who gets interviewed.

Feb 28, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Minnesota Vikings former general manager Rick Spielman on the CBS Sports set at the NFL Scouting Combine at Indiana Convention Center. M / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The New York Jets are set to being their coaching and general manager search this week, according to ESPN.

While only two candidates for the GM job have been reported, it’s likely New York will interview plenty more before they decide who to hire.

Last month, the Jets announced a partnership with The 33rd Team, a search firm managed by former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum, to help facilitate the search for both a general manager and a head coach.

One of Tannenbaum’s partner in the venture is another former NFL GM, Rick Spielman. His involvement could be critical to determine who gets first, or even second, interviews.

Spielman has said in interviews that his job is to help New York vet candidates for both jobs and help put information in front of them so they can make decisions about who to interview.

But, Spielman’s involvement in a general manager search last offseason could be constructive about who gets interviews with the Jets.

Spielman was involved with Washington’s searches for a GM and a head coach. The Commanders eventually landed on Adam Peters as GM. But, per CBS Sports, Spielman conducted interviews on Washington’s behalf with Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi, Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham, Browns assistant GM Glenn Cook and Eagles assistant GM Alec Halaby.

It's entirely possible that they’ll be candidates this time around, too. Right now there are three head-coaching openings, but even fewer GM openings. That means a buyer’s market for the Jets if it stays that way.

In spite of 14 straight seasons without a playoff berth and another losing season, the fact is there are only 32 GM jobs in the NFL. So when one is open potential GMs with a desire to run the football side usually angle for an interview.

That’s where The 33rd Team becomes a critical part of this. While it won’t make the final decision, it will have influence over who the Jets interview. Those candidates that Spielman interviewed last year could have an inside track this year.

Meanwhile, ESPN's Louis Riddick and former Tennessee Titans general manager Jon Robinson are the two candidates that will receive interviews per ESPN’s report. The Jets can interview both now because neither is working for an NFL team.

The Jets announced a partnership with The 33rd team, a search firm managed by former Jets GM

Robinson ran the Titans from 2016-22 as its general manager, which means he has close ties to former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, who many believe will be on the Jets’ list to interview after the season.

Riddick has spent more than a decade with ESPN as an analyst for both pro and college football, with his current duties as a game analyst in the college ranks. But he was in NFL personnel for more than a decade before his TV career began.