Jets still searching for GM with list whittled down to three candidates

The wait for the Jets general manager continued Friday. 

The team interviewed Broncos assistant GM Darren Mougey and Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown on Thursday but they still had not hired anyone as of Friday evening.

Mougey and Brown are considered to be the favorites after they were called to Florham Park for second interviews.

The team also interviewed Commanders assistant GM Lance Newmark on Tuesday and he is still a candidate for the job, according to sources, but Mougey and Brown felt like they had more momentum. 

The three finalists came from a list of 15 candidates the Jets initially interviewed.

The team is looking to pair a GM with new coach Aaron Glenn, who was hired by the team Wednesday. Glenn, 52, is expected to have some input on the GM hire. 

Sources said the Jets decision-makers spent most of Friday having discussions about the hire. None of the candidates were notified of any decision, though.

The Jets’ search has been led by owner Woody Johnson, vice chairman Christopher Johnson, team president Hymie Elhai and former GMs Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman, who now work for The 33rd Team. 

The team is looking for a replacement for Joe Douglas, who held the job from 2019 through November when he was fired. 

Mougey, 39, has spent his entire career with the Broncos, rising from a scouting intern in 2012 to assistant GM in 2022. The Arizona native played football at San Diego State and was teammates with Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell.

Mougey has worked with two GMs in Denver, first serving under the legendary John Elway and then staying on when George Paton took over in 2022. Those who know Mougey say he is a good communicator and has had to adapt to a number of different situations in Denver. The team has had six head coaches during his time with the team.

They won a Super Bowl in 2015. 

Mougey is 6-foot-6 and is said to have a presence about him. There is no obvious connection between Mougey and Glenn, although they both have worked with Broncos coach Sean Payton. Glenn served as the DBs coach in New Orleans under Payton. 

Brown, 39, has been with the Bengals since 2021.

He has also worked in the scouting department for the Patriots and the Eagles, winning a Super Bowl in Philadelphia in 2017.

Those who know Brown say he has strong people skills and has been forced to learn many different aspects of the football operation in Cincinnati, which has a smaller staff than most NFL teams.

Brown played college football at UCLA. He and Glenn know each other through league circles but have never worked together.