‘Unpredictable’ Jets Owner Creates ‘Tenuous Time’ in Organization: Report

It sounds like those inside the New York Jets organization know they’re, at times, working against team owner Woody Johnson.

Oct 20, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Jets owner Woody Johnson arrives for a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

It’s been a seismic month in the New York Jets organization, and much of that is due to team owner Woody Johnson.

Earlier this morning he was responsible for firing head coach Robert Saleh, a decision in which general manager Joe Douglas had little input. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was elevated to interim coach.

While conducting a press conference announcing the firing of Saleh, he basically begged wayward holdout edge rusher Haason Reddick to return, which happened, albeit a couple of weeks later. And, amid the push to complete a trade to acquire wide receiver Davante Adams, he told reporters at a quarterly team owners meeting in Atlanta that “thinking is sometimes overrated.”

While the Jets (3-6) snapped their five-game losing streak on Thursday night, before the game Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported on the state of the Jets’ front office amid all the change. The report was not flattering to Johnson.

“It’s a tenuous time in the Jets building for sure,” he said. “For people who work there now, the  people who worked there in the past say that all goes right back to the top. Owner Woody Johnson badly wants to win, and he's sunk resources into making that happen.”

Along with all of the moves this year, he okayed the trade to bring quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the Jets last year, one that never got off the ground after Rodgers tore his Achilles.

One of the problems, per Breer, is that Johnson has a history of listening to, well, anyone and everyone when it comes to football matters.

“He's also created an environment for the people there they don't feel like is all that conducive to actually accomplishing that because he listens to too many non-football people on football matters,” Breer said. “He pays too much attention to what's going on, on the internet and that's led to what people there feel like as an unpredictable boss. Right now a lot of folks there are walking around on egg shells.”

It's not an easy time at Florham Park, even as the Jets are coming off a win and get a couple of days off, thanks to the Thursday night win. There is a slim chance New York can turn things round and make the playoffs.

Whether they do or don’t, the Jets are sure to have some level of change in 2025. New York will have to conduct a coaching search and Douglas is in the final year of his contract.

As Breer reported, Johnson’s predilection for doing his own thing is well-known and could prove hindrance in any off-season coach or general manager searches.

“These are things that Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas were warned about before they went there and if there is seismic change after this year, which a lot of people around the league expect, it could affect who's willing to go there in 2025,” Breer said.