Woody Johnson's Strong Reaction

In a candid moment at the NFL owners’ meetings in West Palm Beach, Florida, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson had strong words for the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) regarding their annual team report cards. Calling the assessment “totally bogus,” Johnson expressed his frustration with how the survey was conducted and the implications it holds for his organization.

The Survey Results

The report revealed the Jets ranked a dismal 29th out of the league’s 32 teams, with Johnson himself landing at the bottom of a survey question about owners' investment in team facilities. An astounding 1,695 NFL players, roughly 77% of the NFLPA membership, participated in the survey between August 26 and November 20, 2024. Yet, Johnson took issue with the integrity of this data, commenting, “The whole thing. How they collected the information, who they collected it from... it’s supposed to be a process where we have representatives and they have representatives, so we know it’s an honest survey. And that was violated in my opinion.

Internal Transitions for the Jets

His remarks suggest growing tensions not just between team owners and players, but within the league itself over issues of representation and fairness. Many owners echoed Johnson's sentiments, finding the survey results to be skewed and unbalanced, arguing that it doesn't accurately reflect perspectives from all players.

Cultural Changes in the Organization

Besides addressing the survey backlash, Johnson also provided insights into the Jets' internal transitions. He confirmed reports from the Sports Business Journal indicating that the team offered voluntary buyouts to about 170 of its 250 employees. “That’s something we thought was consistent with what we were doing in changing the culture, giving everybody a chance to go in a different direction if they wanted,