A meeting was held following the 10-9 loss to Denver and present was former head coach Robert Saleh, Douglas, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, and then-defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, among other executive leadership, according to the report.
During that meeting, sources told The Athletic that Johnson suggested benching the four-time league MVP because he felt Rodgers’ lackluster performance after just four games was limiting the team’s potential.
Johnson was convinced otherwise by Douglas and the coaches, who suggested that the decision would not go over well in the locker room and that it would embarrass Rodgers.
But another loss, this time to the Minnesota Vikings led by the Jets’ 2018 third overall pick Sam Darnold, was Johnson’s breaking point.
Saleh was fired after a 2-3 record and Ulbrich was promoted to interim head coach while still maintaining his responsibilities as defensive coordinator. Two days later, Hackett was stripped of play calling duties in favor of passing game coordinator Todd Downing.
But the jump start Johnson hoped for never came.
The Jets went 1-5, their defense faltered, and Rodgers continued to look like a version of his former self.
Douglas was fired Tuesday following another one-point loss on Sunday. The 28-27 loss to Indianapolis was the Jets’ highest scoring game of the season.