Now that Aaron Glenn has been hired as coach, the Jets have turned their full attention to finding a new general manager.
Gang Green is set to bring in Broncos assistant general manager Darren Mougey and Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown for second general manager interviews, a source confirms. NFL Network was the first to report the news of Mougey and Brown receiving second interviews.
Mougey and Brown both interviewed for the Jets general manager position on Jan. 11. The Jets brought Lance Newmark in for a second interview on Tuesday but want to continue the search before making a decision. However, Newmark remains a candidate for the job.
Mougey, 39, is currently in his second season as Denver’s assistant general manager. He helped the Broncos make the playoffs for the first time since 2015 after the team finished 10-7. The Broncos defense finished seventh in yards (317.1) and third in points allowed (18.3).
Mougey has been with the Broncos since 2012, when he was hired as a scouting intern. Throughout his time in Denver, he has held several positions within the organization, including personnel and scouting assistant, college and pro personnel scout, assistant director of college scouting, and director of player personnel.
Since becoming assistant general manager in 2022, Mougey has worked alongside Broncos general manager George Paton. They both have improved Denver’s roster by drafting players such as Bo Nix, Nik Bonitto, Marvin Mims Jr., and Riley Moss and signing players D.J. Jones and Mike McGlinchey.
Although Mougey has not worked with Glenn before, the two have both worked with Sean Payton, the Broncos coach. Glenn played for and later coached on Payton’s staff with the Saints from 2016-20.
Mougey has worked with Payton the last two seasons since he became Broncos coach in 2023.
Brown, 39, has been the right-hand man of Duke Tobin, the director of player personnel, and the team’s de facto general manager since joining the Bengals front office in 2021 after stints in the Alliance of American Football and the XFL. Since 2017, Brown has had several interviews for vacant general manager roles.
In 2017, the Bills interviewed Brown for their general manager position. The Raiders also interviewed Brown (2018 and 2022) two times for their general manager openings. Before working with the Eagles (2013-14) as a scout and the director of college scouting (2016-18), Brown was a scout in the Patriots organization.
Reportedly, Brown declined an interview for the Patriots GM position last offseason.
In 2019, Brown left the NFL and became the executive vice president of football operations for the Alliance of American Football Birmingham Irons. In 2020, he was hired as the XFL’s St. Louis BattleHawks director of player personnel before returning to the NFL.
In addition to Mougey and Brown, 14 others have been interviewed for the Jets general manager job: Thomas Dimitroff, Jon Robinson, Jim Nagy, Louis Riddick, Alec Halaby, Mike Borgonzi, Ray Farmer, Mike Greenberg, Darren Mougey, Trey Brown, Chris Spielman, Ryan Grigson, Jon-Eric Sullivan, and Brian Gaine.
Jets owner Woody Johnson fired former general manager Joe Douglas in November amidst a 5-12 season. He also fired Robert Saleh in October following a 2-3 start.