It’s another crazy day in JetLand.
On Thursday morning, The Athletic’s Zach Rosenblatt, Dianna Russini, and Michael Silver released an article detailing the dysfunction of the New York Jets organization. The article detailed a wide range of instances that showed how broken the organization’s functioning is.
One such instance surrounded a potential deal that would have landed wide receiver Jerry Jeudy in a trade. The article detailed that, due to some “Madden NFL” ratings, owner Woody Johnson put the kibosh on the trade.
“The Broncos felt a deal was near. Then, abruptly, it all fell apart. In Denver’s executive offices, they couldn’t believe the reason why. Douglas told the Broncos that Johnson didn’t want to make the trade because the owner felt Jeudy’s player rating in “Madden NFL,” the popular video game, wasn’t high enough, according to multiple league sources. The Broncos ultimately traded the receiver to the Cleveland Browns.”
A former executive commented in the article, surmising what they felt was the Jets’ organization’s main problem.
“They keep on doing the same thing over and over: they change the football people. The football people are not the issue. It’s, ‘Hey, I have brain cancer.’ And, ‘Well, just cut off your foot.'”
Another significant instance shown in the article is the involvement of Woody’s sons, Brick and Jack Johnson.
“Last year, Johnson started including his sons in some meetings at the team facility. For some Jets employees, the sons’ increasing involvement clarified their father’s propensity for sharing posts from X and articles from various outlets, including a blog called “Jets X-Factor,” with the organization’s top decision-makers.”
The article added that the reference to Jeudy’s “Madden” rating and pushback to signing John Simpson due to his “Madden” awareness rating are signs of his sons’ influence.
Arguably the most damning tidbits surrounded the locker room. The article detailed how Woody Johnson, in the aftermath of a Jets’ loss to the Seahawks in 2022, said of quarterback Mike White, “You should throw your helmet, you f—ing suck.” The statement got back to White, who was playing through broken ribs.
Additionally, the writers detailed how the locker room played out after the Jets beat the Texans on Halloween.
“Rodgers walked into an energized locker room with a game ball in hand, and it was expected that he’d give the ball to Ulbrich, a customary gesture when a coach gets his first NFL win.
But before Rodgers could speak, Brick Johnson took another game ball and awarded it to wide receiver Garrett Wilson in a profanity-laced exclamation, which the owner’s son later posted to Instagram. Woody Johnson then gave Ulbrich the ball Rodgers had been holding. Multiple players said the energy felt drained out of the room.”
There are plenty of other situations and tidbits detailed throughout the article, all of which prove the same point. They show a reeking smell of dysfunction in the Jets’ organization that starts from the top.
Dysfunction does not absolve Joe Douglas of his mistakes during his time with the Jets; he missed on plenty of draft picks and signings and could not build the Jets into a contender.
Dysfunction does not absolve Robert Saleh of his faults. He never truly improved as a coach, and eventually, he dragged the Jets down more than he lifted them up.
However, there is a reason the Jets have the longest playoff drought in North American sports. They are dysfunctional and have been so for essentially a decade and a half. Coaches and front office members have flowed through Florham Park, but the overarching issues have remained just the same.
The issues start with the owner, and until they are fixed, the Jets will never know true and consistent success.
