The New York Jets could certainly do without any added dysfunction, but for now, it looks like they’ll have to wait. With Aaron Rodgers leaving town, some are hopeful he will take a chunk of the club’s misfortunes with him. However, it appears that owner Woody Johnson remains at the center of the chaos.
Jets Players Give Woody Johnson an F on Report Card
Front office issues have not been well-hidden over the years, as the Jets have had a tumultuous relationship with Johnson at best. Of course, first, we need to look at what’s being said.
According to the NFLPA’s annual report card, “The Jets’ ownership grade dropped from a B- to an F, with Woody Johnson receiving the league’s lowest owner score for contributing to a positive team culture.”
It’s no wonder Johnson scored low on contributing to a positive team culture, especially considering his willingness to invest in facilities score. The report card states, “Johnson’s average rating for perceived willingness to invest in the facilities is 5.58 out of 10 from Jets players, a ranking of 32 out of 32 owners in the league.”
What the Jets players think of Jets owner Woody Johnson. 👇 pic.twitter.com/TriZ3kPcMJ
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) February 26, 2025
The report continued with a grade on the owner’s commitment to building a competitive team, to which the report stated, “The players feel that Johnson is somewhat committed to building a competitive team, a rank of 31 of the 32 NFL owners.”
Perhaps the fact that “The players feel that Johnson does not contribute to a positive team culture, a rank of 32 out of 32″ says it all, as crafting the right kind of culture is often thought to be the first step to assembling a successful team. However, a detailing of Johnson’s behind-the-scenes dysfunction and incompetence that was reported in The Athletic may have played a role.
Albert Breer added on social media that after giving feedback last year, Jets players felt like the owner went the other way, and rather than addressing their complaints, made cuts (they let the NFL’s top-ranked dietician leave for Kansas City).
Media Played a Role in Johnson’s Disapproval Rating
Seeing Johnson’s grade drop from a B- to an F in just one year is striking, and one has to wonder if a scathing December article played a role in his plummeting score. The article outlined the Jets’ internal dysfunction, including claims that Johnson involved his teenage sons in key decision-making—an assertion Aaron Rodgers referenced on “The Pat McAfee Show” at the time.
Furthermore, The Athletic article went on to make a seemingly outlandish claim that Johnson was using Madden ratings to evaluate players. While this statement has not been refuted or substantiated, the allegations are in the annals of NFL gossip now, among several other wild anecdotes about the franchise.
Whether the article directly impacted Johnson’s disapproval rating may never be known, but few expected improvement on this year’s report card. As Barstool Sport’s Big Cat would say after all, “Dysfunctional teams do dysfunctional things.”