Robert Saleh firing makes Pat McAfee eat his words about the Packers

Are we sure Joe Douglas is a smart GM?
LSU v South Carolina
LSU v South Carolina / Isaiah Vazquez/GettyImages
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Life comes at you fast in the NFL.

Eighteen months ago, the New York Jets traded for Aaron Rodgers, and everyone suddenly believed Joe Douglas was the greatest general manager in NFL history. Even after the Green Bay Packers fleeced the Jets in the Rodgers trade, Douglas continued to receive praise.

Pat McAfee took it a step further. Not only did he praise Douglas after trading for his buddy Rodgers, but he was heavily critical of Packers GM Brian Gutekunst.

"Who's the smart person?" he said on the Pat McAfee Show. "Oh, Gutekunst? We're just automatically assuming he's a smart person?"

"Oh yeah, there have never been sh-tty f---ing general managers," McAfee added.

Well, here we are. Just a year and a half after the Jets traded for Rodgers—and only six starts into his tenure—they have fired head coach Robert Saleh. It leaves the Jets in an even bigger mess than ever imaginable.

To steal a phrase from McAfee: Oh, Douglas? We're just automatically assuming he's a smart person?

Packers continue to get proven right for trading Aaron Rodgers to Jets

Rodgers has shown signs of his vintage best this season, but he was nowhere near it during his rare three-interception day against the Minnesota Vikings in London. To make it worse, the Jets have fired Saleh, one of the best defensive minds in the league, but retained offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.

Saleh's defense has allowed 13.3 points per game over the past four weeks, while Hackett's offense continues to struggle.

To make it worse, the decision to fire Saleh has reportedly come from owner Woody Johnson, which just makes the entire situation even more comical. Did anybody else know?

Packers fans are watching respectfully—well, maybe not.

The Packers quietly go about their business and make smart decisions. Gutekunst continues to build an excellent team through the draft, while head coach Matt LaFleur, who Gutekunst helped bring to Green Bay, helped Rodgers win two MVPs.

Green Bay had to handle plenty of Rodgers drama over the years, from sitting out of offseason workouts to leaving the NFL world waiting for a decision on his future. In the end, the Packers moved on and started an exciting new era around LaFleur and Jordan Love.

In New York, it doesn't matter if it's Rodgers or Zach Wilson at quarterback. Heck, the Jets could have the prime Bill Belichick/Tom Brady connection and still screw it up.

But McAfee took shot after shot at the Packers' decision-making during the Rodgers trade saga. It doesn't look so bad now, does it?

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