It seems like a foregone conclusion that the New York Jets will be looking for a new head coach after the conclusion of the 2026 campaign. At 2-5, it's hard to envision the team turning around their recent stretch of poor play.

One question that comes with a potential coaching change, though, is what happens to the front office.

Jets general manager Darren Mougey has done an admirable job acquiring talent across the board over his first two seasons. He hasn't been perfect, but many have wondered whether a decision on Aaron Glenn would also lead to one being made about Mougey.

New York would be wise not to bunch the two together, though. If anything, Mougey has earned the right to hire a head coach that best fits his model for a successful team. And there are five reasons the Jets should allow that to happen.

Draft record is stronger than that of prior GMs

When Joe Douglas was first running drafts for the Jets, he was tasked with fixing the team's offensive line and finding a quarterback. Along the way, he needed to find competent players who could help the team in different rounds.

Instead, the team whiffed on the 2020 draft (Douglas' first), and swung and missed at Zach Wilson and the rest of the 2021 draft class (sans Jamien Sherwood).

Already, Mougey has proven to be far more successful at drafting than his predecessor. His first three picks in the 2025 draft class are all starters on the team and have each produced well to start their careers. The 2026 draft has five starters including three who have broken out in several games—David Bailey, Omar Cooper Jr., and Kenyon Sadiq.

Mougey will, of course, be judged on if he gets the quarterback decision right, but he hasn't made that call yet. And that leaves us with one clear takeaway: He knows how to draft well.

Past history shows coaching prowess

Should the Jets eventually fire Glenn, it will be up to Mougey to be at the center of a coaching search. Luckily for New York, Mougey has gone through this before.

As an assistant general manager with the Denver Broncos, Mougey was part of the regime that removed Nathaniel Hackett and brought in Sean Payton after a coaching search. If he was able to help the front office through that, and come away with a solid staff, it shows he can do it as the head of another.

Mougey is highly respected both in NFL circles and amongst the Jets' higher-ups. He should be given the chance to hire a coach who best fits his vision for the organization's future.

Forward-thinking mindset

New York needs a general manager that understands modern NFL trends. Someone who will extend players early in negotiations to jump ahead of the market, as well as being willing to trade players for draft capital.

So far, Mougey has done that terrifically.

The trades of Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams were as forward-thinking as it gets. Instead of waiting around to see if they could be important cogs in the long-term future of the team, Mougey received three first-round picks and a second-rounder to aid his future capital. Along the way, he jumped ahead of the market on Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall and others who have received new deals. There are few Jets who could be described as "overpaid" under Mougey's guidance. That's another reason why the team is set to have over $80 million in cap space this offseason.

By keeping on pace with modern trends around the league, Mougey is showing his ability at being more than just someone who is overlooked as the face of an organization.

Mistakes have not gutted the organization

Mougey is not above mistakes. The team has made several since he took over the top job. Let's go through some of the big ones:

- Bringing in Justin Fields to start at QB in 2025
- Joseph Ossai signing
- Not addressing wide receiver in 2025
- Signing Nahshon Wright
- Uneven draft grades on Day 3
- Jamien Sherwood extension

But what's the common denominator on all of these mistakes? None of them is big enough to sink the organization. There will always be missed free agents. There will be missed picks late in the draft. But a good GM is able to move past those mistakes and find a way to keep the team afloat.

None of the whiffs from Mougey have ultimately sunk the Jets' future by any stretch. And for that, it shows he's deserving of a chance to correct some of those mistakes.

Competency should be welcome

How many general managers for the Jets have been able to keep the team in good cap standing, have a treasure trove of draft picks in the next few drafts and seem to have already developed a young nucleus of talent?

The closest that comes to mind is the Mike Tannenbaum regime with Eric Mangini.

Mougey, at his worst, is a competent general manager. Someone who has a vision for the team, will make some mistakes, but also make very strong moves to improve the roster. At this point with where the Jets are, they can't really be in the business of moving on from competent people who do a solid job.