Woody Johnson faced the wrath of fans from around the footballing world after a report emerged detailing his style of micro-managing the franchise. It stated that Johnson relied on Madden to run his franchise.
The New York Jets owner has now hit back at the report concerning not only himself but also his son. The 77-year-old Johnson leaves no stone unturned to clear his name.
Woody Johnson Fires Back at Reports of Mismanagement Within the Jets
Last month, a report from The Athletic utilized anonymous sources to pinpoint the cause of the franchise’s demise. The report highlighted that Johnson, with his teenage son, rely on a video game’s ratings of the players to sign them.
The Jets owner received criticisms from every corner due to this. However, now he has come back and tarnished the report itself in an interview with the New York Post, labeling the entire piece as “absolutely untrue.”
“I think the article is a typical smear piece — unsubstantiated,” Johnson said. “Nobody really stood up and put their name on anything. It’s absolutely untrue. Everything was out of context. When you’re losing games, it gives people the artistic license to kind of do what they want.”
Johnson Opens Up on Aaron Rodgers’ Future With the Jets
Bringing Aaron Rodgers to the Jets in 2023 was one of the high points in Johnson’s career with the Jets. However, after a disappointing 5-12 finish, he is ready to reevaluate his call concerning the 41-year-old quarterback’s future with the franchise.
“From a numbers standpoint, he did OK, except for the most important number — winning games,” Johnson said of Rodgers’ performance this season to the New York Post.
“But that’s going to be up to the coach. The coach will have to decide what the quarterback situation is. That’s going to be a very important job for the general manager and the coach — what do we want and when do we get it and what’s our timeline? Where does Aaron Rodgers fit into that?”
Johnson and the Jets’ front office are busy interviewing candidates for the vacant head coach and general manager positions.