The cloud of the Johnson family seemed to rest overhead in Florham Park last season for the 5-12 New York Jets.
Several reports cited New York’s ownership group as overbearing to its coaches and front office, while not providing a positive work environment for their players. This has been said to be a key reason for the organization’s failings over the last 14 years.
With a new head coach in Aaron Glenn running the show, though, a different opinion seems to be felt around the halls of 1 Jets Drive. Woody Johnson has invested heavily in upgrades to the facility, while trying to learn from mistakes that brought him to this point.
One of the clearer signs of changes from New York’s ownership group, though, has been in their relationship with Glenn and his staff.
Jets’ Ownership Update
To say Woody Johnson did not trust the men in charge of the organization last season for the Jets would be an understatement. There’s a reason he relieved both Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas of their duties before the regular season concluded.
The struggles New York went through last year were multifaceted, but Johnson earned some of the blame. When he hired Glenn to run the organization as its de facto “face,” it seemed like the long-time owner found the person he could trust to turn the franchise’s fortunes around.
That trust has been clear with the Jets kicking off training camp last week.
“The relationship is outstanding, and the ability to sit and talk with him and really let him know what my feelings are, and he’s going to let me know what his feelings are too, which I like,” Glenn said after Monday’s practice. “I think that’s how men operate. You talk about things, you try to improve, and then you make it happen. That’s the one thing, I would say, to his credit that he has done.
“And you guys can see it within the building, you guys can see it within the team in terms of us signing these guys. So, I love everything about it.”
There will be some Jets fans concerned about Glenn’s answer regarding Johnson making his opinions and thoughts heard to the head coach. In the minds of those supporters, Johnson could be seen as meddling in football affairs with things he knows nothing about.
That doesn’t appear to be the case, though.
Owners around the league have always had a hand in the decisions of their football team. The Hunt family in Kansas City, Jeffrey Lurie in Philadelphia, and the Pegulas in Buffalo are all known as owners who are heavily involved in football conversations.
There’s nothing wrong with Johnson chatting with his new head coach about it, especially if the coach prefers that kind of relationship.
Having an owner and head coach who trust each other makes the difference between a winning team and one that struggles to stay competitive throughout a 17-game schedule.
Johnson has put his money where his mouth is this offseason. He has improved the facility for his players and seems to trust the people he has hired this time around genuinely.
Time will tell if that ends up being the right decision to turn around the Jets.
