The Jets' search for their replacement for fired general manager Joe Douglas began Monday with an interview involving a familiar face.
Former Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff met with the Jets regarding their vacant GM job, the team announced.
Dimitroff spent 12 years as GM in Atlanta, spending his first pick with the Falcons on Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan.
With Dimitroff in charge, Atlanta posted a 113-95 record, reached the playoffs six times, won the NFC in 2016 and watched Ryan earn NFL MVP honors under the direction of offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan during their magical run to the Super Bowl. That campaign infamously ended with Atlanta blowing a 28-3 lead over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI, and Shanahan left to become the coach of the 49ers following their defeat. A year later, Atlanta fell short of returning to the Super Bowl, losing to the Eagles in the Divisional Round.
Despite the run of success, things began to fall apart in Atlanta over the next few seasons. The Falcons posted consecutive 7-9 finishes in 2018 and 2019 and bottomed out in 2020, ending that campaign 4-12. Dimitroff and coach Dan Quinn were both fired following an 0-5 start to that season.
Dimitroff has been out of the NFL since his October 2020 firing. Since then, he's served as president of football operations for SumerSports, a data-driven platform established to aid front office personnel in decision making at both the professional and collegiate levels.
With nearly 30 years of NFL experience under his belt, Dimitroff is exploring a potential return with a franchise that could certainly use an experienced leader as their guide.
