A House Divided: Woody Johnson’s Ownership Style Threatens to Tear Jets Apart
Woody Johnson has owned the New York Jets since 2000, and he’s certainly seen some success with the team.
The Jets made the playoffs in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2010. Two of the playoff trips saw the Jets make it to the AFC Championship Game.
The Jets have had a playoff drought since that 2010 season, and 2024’s 5-12 campaign featuring four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers at quarterback was a massive disappointment. Johnson was more involved than usual in 2024, which led to him firing head coach Robert Saleh after Week 5 and then firing general manager Joe Douglas a few weeks later.
None of the levers that Johnson pulled worked — and that included trading for Davante Adams — but heading into 2025 with a new regime led by new head coach Aaron Glenn and new general manager Darren Mougey, Johnson said he’ll have to be better as well.
“Absolutely, I have to look in the mirror, and I have to be a better owner,” Johnson said as he introduced the new regime, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN. “And I’m trying to be better.”
Being better for Johnson means taking a more hands-off approach and letting the people he hired do their jobs. He owns the team, so ultimately he has the final say on all the big decisions, but he needs to let Glenn and Mougey do their jobs if they’re going to have any success.
For what it’s worth, Johnson seems to know that micromanaging is not the way to go moving forward.
“Yes, I want Aaron Glenn to coach the team. I want the general manager to manage the assets and the players, and I’ll take the owner’s position,” he said.
