If Deion Sanders wants his son, Shedeur, or Travis Hunter to play for the New York Jets — though, realistically, why would he? — he’d likely prefer to see a general manager in place first.
Specifically, one he’s been openly supporting on social media.
While Sanders hasn’t explicitly framed this as a quid pro quo, nor can he control exactly where the two Colorado stars might land in the NFL (though that won’t stop him from trying), his recent social media musings suggest he’d like to see Louis Riddick in the Jets’ front office.
For a franchise with the longest playoff drought in North American professional sports, perhaps Sanders’ endorsement could carry weight. After all, Jets owner and CEO Woody Johnson has a well-documented tendency to pay too much attention to social media.
Detractors might argue that Riddick hasn’t worked in an NFL front office in over a decade, spending much of his time on television critiquing teams, including the Jets. But what exactly do the Jets have to lose at this point? With their track record, turning up their nose at any candidate — aside from, perhaps, a 70-year-old Herm Edwards — feels ill-advised
Riddick completed his interview for the position earlier this week, and Sanders is surely hoping this isn’t just a token gesture to satisfy the Rooney Rule.
This isn’t Sanders’ first attempt to stump for Riddick, either.
At 11:56 a.m. ET on New Year’s Day, Sanders took to social media to endorse him again. The timing might not have been coincidental — Riddick, alongside Bob Wischusen, was in the booth for the Boise State–Penn State game on New Year’s Eve. And Sanders appeared to keep a watchful eye (and attentive ear) to Riddick’s commentary.
“Don’t say I didn’t tell [you],” he wrote.
It was only a few days later, when news surfaced that the Jets had completed their interview with Louis Riddick, that Sanders implored the Jets, “Please don’t mess this up.”
So, it’s fair to say that if Sanders were calling the shots at One Jets Drive, Riddick might not have even left the building.
But the Jets appear committed to an exhaustive search for their next head coach and general manager. Partnering with Mike Tannenbaum’s The 33rd Team, the franchise seems determined to leave no stone unturned. If that approach means no guarantees for someone as decorated as Bill Belichick, it certainly doesn’t spell guarantees for Riddick, either.
To Sanders, however, Riddick is no ordinary candidate. He’s the solution. And if the Jets fail to recognize that, Sanders will ensure the world knows they “messed it up.”