Ex-NFL star Rob Gronkowski links controversial former head coach to Jets

Given that the Jets have won just one game under interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich, it’s likely that the team will be looking outside of the organization this offseason to fill the open role.
Rob Gronkowski has an idea of who they should bring in.
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Speaking on the “Up and Adams” show this week, Gronkowski suggested that Josh Gruden could be a good fit alongside quarterback Aaron Rodgers — if, of course, the veteran is still with the team next year.
“He brings that passion. He loves the game of football. Just loves the energy that football brings to the table,” Gronkowski said. “Jon Gruden loves a nice, solid quarterback … That would be the fit. I would like to see that happen. That’s how Aaron Rodgers stays with the Jets.”
Gruden has not coached since resigning from the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2021 season following a New York Times report about emails he sent before his hiring that were racist, homophobic and misogynistic. He recently signed a three year contract with Barstool Sports, but the deal has an out if he lands a coaching job.
The Jets fired Joe Douglas on Tuesday, six weeks after dismissing head coach Robert Saleh. It’s also possible that Rodgers’ time with the team will be over before the 2025 season.
“It’s very clear now that this organization is going to find a new quarterback,” SNY’s Connor Hughes said on Tuesday. “The Aaron Rodgers tenure with the Jets is going to be over. They’re not going to find a coach hand-picked by him. If you think about why he came here in the first place, he came here because Nathaniel Hackett was already here. He didn’t want new, he didn’t want different. He didn’t want to be overly challenged, he wanted what he knew and what he was comfortable with.”
Douglas brought Rodgers to New York via a trade with the Green Bay Packers in 2023, and then the four-time NFL MVP missed basically the whole season with an Achilles injury. Since trading for Rodgers, the Jets are 10-18.
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Bridget Hyland may be reached at [email protected].