Jets Owner Reportedly Called for Coaches to Bench Aaron Rodgers

Woody Johnson reportedly suggested that the Jets' coaching staff move on from the 40-year-old as the starting quarterback.

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson walks on the field before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson made the decision to fire general manager Joe Douglas on Tuesday after six years with the organization. It seems Johnson's been increasingly involved with things behind the scene of late, according to a report from The Athletic's Dianna Russini and Zack Rosenblatt.

Per the report, following a 10–9 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 4, Johnson held a "contentious" meeting with Jets coaches, including former head coach Robert Saleh who was fired one week later. During the meeting, Johnson boldly suggested to the coaches that Aaron Rodgers should be benched in favor of Tyrod Taylor because he felt that Rodgers was the main culprit behind the team's struggles.

Ultimately, Jets coaches were able to persuade Johnson against such a rash decision merely four games into the season.

"The idea of benching the future Hall of Famer sounded so absurd that one coach asked whether the owner was serious—multiple sources from that meeting believed he was," wrote Russini and Rosenblatt.

Rodgers remains the starter for New York, despite the unorthodox suggestion from Johnson earlier in the season. Still, the results haven't improved on the field. Although they roster plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, the Jets are 3–8 on the year and 1–5 since replacing Saleh with interim coach Jeff Ulbrich.

With an owner seemingly a bit too involved in various aspects of the organization, the Jets will be in the market for a new head coach and now a new GM, too.

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