The New York Jets will be hiring a new coach and general manager in 2025. And they’ll be leaning on several former general managers, including their own, to aid in the process, enlisting The 33rd Team, a media outlet founded by ex-Jets executive and current ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum, for assistance.
Confirmed by CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones, the move will primarily result in Tannenbaum and former Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, co-host of CBS Sports’ “With The First Pick” draft podcast, helping Jets owner Woody Johnson “identify, vet and coordinate candidates and interviews.”
This marks the first time The 33rd Team has been hired by an NFL team for such measures. The outlet, which brands itself as a “consortium” of past and present NFL analysts and executives, only Monday announced it would begin offering “specialized consulting services … to elevate your organization to new heights.” It had previously primarily produced online NFL columns, counting former coaches like Chuck Pagano, Jay Gruden and Mike Martz as notable contributors.
Tannenbaum notably spent 16 seasons with the Jets from 1997-2012, serving as general manager under Woody Johnson from 2006-2012. New York made three playoff appearances in his first five years at the helm of the front office, including two AFC championship bids.
Spielman spent 10 seasons as the Vikings’ general manager from 2012-2021, overseeing four different playoff runs and helping draft some of the club’s current cornerstones, including wide receiver Justin Jefferson, left tackle Christian Darrisaw and longtime safety Harrison Smith. Spielman also consulted the Washington Commanders on their 2023 hire of general manager Adam Peters, per Jonathan Jones.
