Bombshell Report Shows Ugly Side of Jets’ Woody Johnson
From Madden Ratings to Arguing with staff, coaches, and Players, Athletic Paints Chaotic Picture of Jets owner
As the Jets season is about to come to an end, and their search for a new General Manager and Head Coach is about to intensify, The Athletic has dropped another bombshell bringing new, disturbing allegations about the inner workings of Gang Green under owner Woody Johnson.
The article paints a bleak picture of the Jets under Johnson, who allegedly gets too involved in the football business, and has been at odds with coaches, executives, and even players.
The article further claims that Johnson reneged on a trade with the Denver Broncos for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy because of the star receiver’s perceived “Madden rating,” among many other mind-boggling decisions within the confines of 1 Jets Drive.
According to the article written by Dianna Russini, Zach Rosenblat and Michael Silver:
“Johnson … soured on (quarterback Aaron Rodgers) less than a year after betting big on him, denigrated his own players in the locker room and seemed to follow decision-making advice from his teenage sons, according to various team and league sources. And the proposed Jeudy trade wasn’t the only time Johnson cited “Madden” ratings when evaluating players.“
The article further purports that Johnson involved his two teenage sons, Brick and Jack in football matters., which “clarified their father’s propensity for sharing posts from X.” In addition, Johnson’s call on the Jeudy trade may have been influenced by his son’s gameplay on Madden.
“Another example came when Johnson pushed back on signing free-agent guard John Simpson due to a lackluster “awareness” rating in Madden. The Jets signed Simpson anyway, and he has had a solid season.”
To be fair, the article references a Jets source that says the boys have no role in the organization.
More disturbingly, the Johnson’s have gone into the Jets locker room and berated players.
” .. Brick and Jack have brought friends — male and female — into the locker room, and current and former players and coaches told The Athletic that Woody Johnson, his wife, Suzanne Ircha Johnson, and his sons criticized players inside the locker room.“
One such incident occurred with former Jets quarterback Mike White. White was the apple of the eye of fans who were frustrated by Zach Wilson’s poor play. White was becoming something of a cultural hero in 2021 and 2022 but was playing hurt in the final weeks of the ’22 season. After a loss to Seattle in Week 17 of the ’22 season, Johnson had an issue with the quarterback.
“White played poorly; the Jets lost and were eliminated from playoff contention. After the game, with the quarterback in the showers after throwing his helmet to the locker room floor, multiple Jets players said they heard Woody Johnson say, “You should throw your helmet, you f—ing suck.” The statement got back to White. The team spokesperson said Johnson apologized to the quarterback.”
Regarding Johnson’s relationship with Rodgers, that has been souring for a while. During the 2023 season, Johnson wanted offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hacket fired; Rodgers — who is good friends with Hackett was not pleased and had a meeting with Johnson about it. That meeting, reportedly “didn’t go well.”
Then there was the story about Johnson’s suggestion to bench Rodgers following a 10-9 loss to Denver in Week 4 of this season. The Athletic reports that the Jets claim the owner was “joking.”
Rodgers wasn’t the only one with issues with Johnson. Ex-GM Joe Douglas and Head Coach Robert Saleh had their run-ins with the owner according to the Athletic. Douglas and Saleh who were initially hired by Johnson’s brother Christopher, expected a laid-back approach by Woody when he returned from his Ambassadorship in the United Kingdom. They were wrong.
With the Jets about to embark on a search for a new GM and Head Coach. There have been rumors the Jets are targeting ex-Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel — perhaps the most sought-after coach on the market right now. They have also interviewed a cluster of GM candidates. With another story like this now coming to light, it will be amazing to see if anyone of significance will want to take these jobs on.
