The 2025-26 NFL season looks more than bad for the New York Jets. They are now the only team still waiting for its first regular-season win, with a 0-7 record. While fans and analysts have many factors to blame, no amount of recrimination can save the reputation of each node related to the team.
While Justin Fields’ performance and Aaron Glenn’s alleged favoritism are being blamed most heavily, owner Woody Johnson’s recent comments have aggravated the situation. Unlike Browns owner Jimmy Haslam’s take on Shedeur Sanders, Johnson took a critical stance toward his quarterback. One ex-NFL quarterback did not take it well.
Former NFL QB Issued a Brutal Take On Jets Owner Woody Johnson
The 2020 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, Alex Smith, does not think the coach or the players are the roadblock in the Jets’ success; it is the owner. On ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown,” he decoded a pattern he had noticed with the team. It all started because of Johnson’s comment on the team’s starting quarterback, Fields.
The Jets owner recently said, “If you look at any head coach with a similar quarterback like that, you are going to see similar results.” Smith was visibly triggered by the owner’s lack of support for their starting quarterback.
Without filtering his words, Smith said, “This is absurd. It is rock bottom (for the Jets), but it is rock bottom because of this guy. It is impossible to overcome dysfunctional ownership and this is the definition of it, Woody Johnson. I lived it, trust me, I know.”
“It is impossible to overcome dysfunctional ownership. … Maybe the problem is you, Woody.”
Alex Smith calls Jets’ owner Woody Johnson “cowardly” for his lack of accountability this season 😳 pic.twitter.com/32xqcsKgeV
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 26, 2025
Smith added, “Listen, how many head coaches and quarterbacks has this guy mowed through? He drove the bus over this kid right here.” He then explained why Johnson is the biggest obstacle to the team winning.
“Sam Darnold… He looks pretty good right now, right? And Robert Saleh is coaching his butt off in San Francisco. We had Aaron Rodgers winning a lot of games all of a sudden, right? Maybe the problem is you, Woody. Maybe we look in the mirror,” Smith said with conviction. Then he went on to break down the team’s entire situation.
He further added, “You have the longest playoff drought in all of the NFL. It starts at the top and trickles down. This was cowardly. This is an owner that’s deflecting ’cause his organization is terrible. And he drove the bus over a 26-year-old quarterback, right over the back of him.” While it seems that he has supported Fields up until this point, the ex-Chiefs quarterback was quick to shove that idea off.
What Is the Problem With the New York Jets’ Attack This Season?
“I’m not gonna justify. I don’t think Justin Fields has played great at all this season. (But) You’re telling me he is the only problem… You don’t have a win. It’s everywhere. The head coach is the problem, the coordinators is the problem. His entire roster is the problem. And pointed at this kid, it is ridiculous,” Smith said.
This makes sense, considering that Fields is often blamed for the team’s failure. Not putting up numbers and being unable to stop opponents from putting up numbers are equally problematic. The Jets are graded D- in PFSN’s Offense Impact (OFFi), with an impact score of 61.2. The defense is not doing significantly better, though. PFSN’s Defense Impact (DEFi) grades the defense C-, with a 70.7 impact score.
Smith’s claims about players and coaches performing better after leaving the Jets add another layer of facts. Johnson really needs to get his organization together if he wants things to work out. Just to put it into perspective, the Jets’ last playoff appearance was in 2010, a decade and a half ago.
