The New York Jets’ playoff hopes seemingly died within the Sonoran Desert. Proprietor Woody Johnson’s large swings — firing head coach Robert Saleh, changing him with Jeff Ulbrich, buying and selling for huge receiver Davante Adams — didn’t work.
Johnson envisioned this season ending within the land of milk and honey. As an alternative, the Jets are 3-7 after their newest embarrassing loss. Johnson won’t even be round for the aftermath.
Within the lead as much as the Presidential election, there was an expectation across the Jets’ facility that, if Donald Trump gained, Johnson would go away to hitch his administration, as he did in 2016 when Johnson was appointed the ambassador to the UK. Through the 2024 marketing campaign, Johnson made a handful of appearances on Fox Information stumping for Trump, his pal, and hosted Trump in his field on the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday evening street sport a pair weeks in the past, which came about a day after a Trump rally in Latrobe, Pa. If Johnson is heading again to work for the White Home, that information will seemingly drop within the coming weeks. Final time, Trump picked Johnson on Jan. 19, 2017, and Johnson was confirmed in June. He wouldn’t should undergo the affirmation course of once more if he’s appointed to the identical place — ambassador to the U.Okay. — although Johnson must be confirmed if he was appointed to a distinct place.
Final time, Johnson’s brother, vice chairman Christopher Johnson, ran the franchise for 3 and a half years till Woody Johnson returned in 2021. Christopher Johnson wasn’t across the crew a lot in 2022 or ’23, however was again into the fold in ’24, probably in preparation to take over if his brother leaves once more. And if Woody Johnson does depart, it could carry loads of implications for the Jets’ quick future, and past.
There’s probability the Jets shall be on the lookout for a brand new head coach and common supervisor this winter. Ulbrich, beforehand the crew’s defensive coordinator, hasn’t proven sufficient to earn the complete time job since changing Saleh within the interim, particularly for the reason that protection has taken a step again. The Jets rank final within the NFL in defensive EPA since Ulbrich grew to become interim head coach, in addition to twenty fifth in dashing protection, twenty sixth in red-zone protection and twenty fifth in scoring protection. Within the Week 10 loss to the Cardinals, they missed 20 tackles, per NextGen. As for common supervisor Joe Douglas, he’s felt like a lifeless man strolling since Johnson began to enact his will with out involving Douglas, who was not consulted earlier than the choice to fireplace Saleh. Johnson additionally pushed for the Adams commerce and to get Haason Reddick within the constructing with a restructured contract after a chronic holdout.
“Woody and I speak every single day,” Douglas stated just lately, sounding defeated. “I serve on the pleasure of the proprietor.”
Douglas is within the final yr of a six-year contract and his finest season record-wise — 7-9 in 2019 — got here with a roster that he didn’t even construct, employed in June that yr after free company and the NFL Draft. He’s by no means made the playoffs and has a worse profession profitable proportion as Jets GM than predecessors John Idzik and Mike Maccagnan.
Everybody within the league watched from afar as Johnson fired Saleh in Week 5 and took energy away from Douglas. Then, they noticed the outcomes on the sector. There shall be curiosity if the roles come open — there are solely 32 NFL head coach and common supervisor positions, in spite of everything — however this isn’t precisely wanting like an interesting group for any potential coach or GM. Candidates with choices would possibly assume twice.
In order that raises the query: How concerned Woody Johnson shall be with regards to the subsequent steps, which might additionally impression the Jets’ skill to lure high quality candidates. He’ll most definitely be concerned in each searches (if Ulbrich and Douglas are gone), together with Christopher, earlier than he joins Trump’s administration (if he does depart).
There’s additionally the query of how this impacts the way forward for Rodgers, who was presupposed to be the franchise’s savior however as an alternative seems like a shell of his former self. Within the Cardinals loss he had 151 passing yards on 35 move makes an attempt, the second-fewest yards he’s ever had on 30 or extra makes an attempt in a single sport.
Some within the group surprise if, ought to the season proceed down this path and Rodgers retains enjoying the way in which he has, he would possibly decide to retire. He’s turning 41 in December. There’s additionally the query of what coach would need to be a part of a Rodgers-led crew as his expertise decline, contemplating all that comes with teaching Rodgers, from the off-the-field circus to the on-the-field management he calls for.
Rodgers at present solely carries a $23.5 million cap hit subsequent yr, but when he was lower or retired the Jets would incur a $49 million dead-cap cost. If the Jets declared him a post-June 1 lower (or retirement), they might cut up the $49 million hit over two seasons, with $14 million of it coming in 2025 and $35 million in 2026.
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There’s nonetheless an avenue to Rodgers returning in 2025, although, and it truly begins with the Woody and Christopher Johnson dynamic. Rodgers has a detailed relationship with Christoper Johnson. When the Jets contingent (the Johnsons, Saleh, Douglas, Nathaniel Hackett and crew president Hymie Elhai) visited Rodgers at his Malibu house final yr to try to persuade him to hitch their crew, Christopher Johnson truly arrived first and hung out with the quarterback earlier than the others arrived. Rodgers has a more in-depth relationship with Christopher than with Woody, based on crew sources, and a few assume Christopher Johnson’s presence would possibly assist persuade Rodgers to stay round.
If Woody Johnson is making the calls, although, it wouldn’t be surprising if he needed to maneuver on from Rodgers contemplating the shortage of success the crew has had relative to expectations. After firing Saleh, Johnson known as this Jets roster essentially the most gifted in his 25 years as proprietor.
No matter whether or not Rodgers returns, although, the roster will seemingly look an entire lot completely different in 2025. Some notable gamers set to turn out to be free brokers: cornerback D.J. Reed, tight finish Tyler Conklin, tackles Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses, defensive finish Haason Reddick, linebacker Jamien Sherwood, security Tony Adams, defensive deal with Javon Kinlaw and security Isaiah Oliver. The Jets will even have selections to make on huge receivers Davante Adams and Allen Lazard. Star 2022 draft picks Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson and Breece Corridor are eligible for extensions for the primary time.
Christopher Johnson made some questionable selections in his time working the crew, specifically hiring Adam Gase in 2019, and ready till after free company and the draft to fireplace Maccagnan later that yr. However some across the crew really feel that Christopher Johnson discovered quite a bit from his first go-around and that he’s extra prone to enable whomever the Jets rent as common supervisor the autonomy to run the crew with out a lot interference. That’s much less prone to be true if Woody Johnson stays within the constructing.
(Picture: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Pictures)