Woody Johnson’s interference could be the main reason behind the Jets’ ongoing struggles, and unless he alters his approach, the team will continue to be stuck in a cycle of disappointment.
The New York Jets’ tumultuous 2024 season has taken another jaw-dropping
turn, with reports surfacing that team owner Woody Johnson had urged the
coaching staff to bench quarterback Aaron Rodgers as early as Week 4. The
explosive suggestion came following the Jets’ disappointing 10-9 loss to the
Denver Broncos, a game in which Rodgers and the offense struggled to get
anything going. According to sources inside the Jets’ organization, Johnson
believed that Rodgers’ performance was hindering the team’s success and felt
the solution was to replace him with backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
This shocking revelation, first reported by The Athletic, sheds light on the
internal chaos that has plagued the Jets’ season. Sources say that during a
tense meeting between Johnson, then-general manager Joe Douglas, and the
Jets’ coaching staff, the owner made it clear that he thought Rodgers was
underperforming. His suggestion to bench the future Hall of Famer was met
with surprise and resistance from the coaching staff, who argued that
removing Rodgers so early in the season would be a disastrous move for both
the team’s locker room and Rodgers’ reputation.
In a report by Zack Rosenblatt and Dianna Russini, sources described how the
meeting unfolded. “The coaches had been called in to explain what happened
with their units during the 10-9 home loss to the Broncos,” they wrote.
“During the meeting, Johnson suggested to the coaches that they bench Aaron
Rodgers in favor of Tyrod Taylor because he felt Rodgers’ performance was
holding the team back. The coaches and Douglas, stunned at the suggestion,
talked him out of it and convinced Johnson to stay the course.”
The coaches made it clear that benching Rodgers four games into the season
was not only impractical but would also be an embarrassing move for the
quarterback. Given Rodgers’ stature in the NFL as a four-time MVP and future
Hall of Famer, the idea of him being benched so soon seemed absurd to many
within the organization. One coach even reportedly questioned whether
Johnson was serious about his suggestion, with multiple sources confirming
that the owner was indeed intent on making a change.
On one hand, Johnson’s call to bench Rodgers seems like an overreaction —
especially considering the significant investment the Jets made in Rodgers
over the past two seasons. The team reshaped its roster to accommodate
Rodgers, bringing in his preferred coaches and players in an effort to build a
Super Bowl contender around him. To pull the plug after just four games
seemed like a reckless decision that could have derailed the entire season.
But there’s no denying that Rodgers’ tenure with the Jets has been anything
but smooth. On the field, his play has been inconsistent, and he has yet to live
up to the high expectations placed upon him. Off the field, Rodgers has been a
constant source of distraction, with his public persona and outspoken views
often making headlines for the wrong reasons. And despite all the changes the
Jets made to appease Rodgers, the team has only seen more dysfunction.
The situation has now reached a breaking point, with the Jets already
undergoing a head-coaching change earlier in the season and, more recently, a
shift in the general manager role. The firing of GM Joe Douglas further
complicates matters, leaving the Jets organization in disarray. Now,
speculation is growing that Rodgers may be the next person to go when the
season concludes.
While parting ways with Rodgers could be seen as a necessary step for the
franchise, it’s not guaranteed to solve the Jets’ ongoing issues. The real
problem lies at the top of the organization: owner Woody Johnson. Much like
Jerry Jones in Dallas, Johnson’s constant interference in football operations
seems to be exacerbating the team’s dysfunction. As long as he continues to
make unilateral decisions and meddle in the day-to-day affairs of the team, the
Jets will remain stuck in a perpetual cycle of failure.
The Jets have cycled through numerous general managers, head coaches, and
quarterbacks over the years, but the one constant has been Woody Johnson.
His inability to step back and allow football experts to do their jobs has played
a significant role in the franchise’s inability to break free from mediocrity. As
he continues to make changes in an attempt to salvage the team, it’s likely that
he’ll only create more problems in the process.
In the end, as the Jets move forward, it’s clear that changing quarterbacks or
coaches alone won’t be enough. Until the organization undergoes a true shift
in leadership at the top, the Jets will continue to struggle, no matter how many
times they swap out personnel. Woody Johnson’s meddling may be the root
cause of the team’s long-standing issues, and unless he changes his approach,
the Jets will remain trapped in the same cycle of disappointment.
