New York Jets to Interview Louis Riddick, Jon Robinson for GM: Report

The New York Jets are reportedly set to begin their first interviews to replace Joe Douglas as general manager.

Dec 6, 2021; Orchard Park, New York, USA; ESPN analyst Louis Riddick reacts to a fans question prior to the game between the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. / Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

This week will mark a turn in the New York Jets’ search for a general manager as it will go from theoretical to actual.

On Sunday, before the Jets faced the Jacksonville Jaguars, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that this week New York would interview at least two candidates for the job — ESPN's Louis Riddick and former Tennessee Titans general manager Jon Robinson.

The Jets can interview both now because neither is working for an NFL team. Candidates with an NFL team cannot be contacted until the regular season ends.

The report indicated that Robinson would be interviewed first, followed by Riddick. The Jets will also reportedly confirm when each interview is complete and other unnamed candidates in the queue as well.

The Jets fired general manager Joe Douglas last month, who was hired six years ago and failed to get New York into the playoffs.

He was the second major firing of the season, as owner Woody Johnson fired head coach Robert Saleh after a 2-3 start.

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.

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.

He also has close ties to New England and their former coach, Bill Belichick, as he started his NFL career as an area scout for the Patriots in 2002. He worked his way up to director of college scouting and in 2013 left the organization to become Tampa bay's director of player personnel.

While with the Patriots he contributed to two Super Bowl championships in their scouting department.

Robinson built a roster that helped the Titans go to the playoffs four times, including an AFC Championship game appearance.

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 before he moved into television he worked in NFL scouting for a decade, beginning his career with Washington as a pro scout in 2001 and eventually becoming director of pro personnel with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2010. He also played in the NFL.

He has previously interviewed for the open GM spots in Houston, Detroit and Pittsburgh in recent offseasons.