The Jets' Dysfunction Is Good News For Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars could benefit from the New York Jets' recent ownership issues.

From left, Jets co-owner Christopher Johnson, Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan and Jets co-owner Woody Johnson speak before an NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When it comes to on-field performance, the Jacksonville Jaguars still have a ways to go before they are even on the same playing field as the lowly New York Jets -- the 32-25 loss in Week 15 proved that.

But when it comes to off-field consistency and stability, the gap between the Jaguars and the Jets might be even wider.

The Jaguars have certainly gone through their spells of off-field dramatics before under owner Shad Khan. The Jalen Ramsey trade, Tom Coughlin's fine-heavy rule over a revolting locker room, and the entire Urban Meyer debacle all quickly come to mind.

But over the last three seasons, the Jaguars have gone a long way toward sustaining synergy within the organization. Yes, the Jaguars are in the midst of one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history, but even this nightmare season has lacked the off-field dramatics that used to define Jaguars seasons.

The same can't be said for the Jets, though. And the Jaguars could be better off for it than many realize as a result.

The avalanche of leaks against the Jets and owner Woody Johnson began last week when The Athletic published a piece on how Johnson's antics have impacted the Jets, how his family has overruled football staff to make decisions and more.

The piece on Johnson's strange ownership spread like wildfire, with non-Jets players even weighing in on certain aspects of it -- specifically a section that said Johnson nixed a trade over a player's madden ratings.

But regardless of how much of the piece is even true, it has become clear what kind of reputation Johnson has across the league. If even half of the claims in the article are fact, then Johnson is unpredictable and erratic at best and unhinged and toxic to the Jets' chances of winning at worst.

This, of course, is good news for teams like the Jaguars. The Jaguars are one of several teams that are likely to compete against the Jets this offseason for their next head coach; Doug Pederson has yet to be fired, but all the assumption among most seems to be that Khan will look for a new head coach once the 2024 season ends.

The Jets already fired their head coach earlier in the season, putting them on the same path as the Jaguars if Jacksonville does decide to move on from Pederson. And when candidates look at the Jaguars and Jets, they will see one head coach who has a reputation of meddling, and one head coach who simply lets his employees do their job.

It remains to be seen if that is enough for the Jaguars to sway the coach of their choice. But when coaching candidates are faced with evaluating the open positions, it is clear the Jaguars have something to offer that the Jets don't.

The Jets had the Jaguars' number on the field this season. But the Jaguars might have the Jets' off the field in the next few weeks.

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