The New York Jets have been one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments during the 2024 season. Jets fans could make a strong case that their team has been a big letdown for several years if not decades. But Aaron Rodgers was supposed to turn the tides.
Those in the Big Apple are realizing that hitching your cart to a 41-year-old quarterback shouldn’t lead to Super Bowl expectations, and now they’re paying the price. First, coach Robert Saleh took the blame, and more recently, GM Joe Douglas.
But now we’ve learned that some within the organization, including team ownership, tried pointing the finger at their four-time NFL MVP QB.
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Woody Johnson tried benching Aaron Rodgers in September
The New York Jets have fallen to 3-8, which includes a 2-3 record under Robert Saleh, and 1-5 under Jeff Ulbrich. They’ve lost seven of their past eight games and now have an offense that ranks 26th in scoring, averaging 18.5 PPG.
For those keeping score, this is still better than last year’s offense, which ranked 29th in scoring and averaged 15.8 PPG. Yet, last year’s team at least won seven games, which is more than the 2024 Jets can claim.
While the Jets aren’t headed anywhere this season, now we’ve learned that some inside the organization tried making sweeping changes months ago, back in September.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Jets owner Woody Johnson tried benching Aaron Rodgers on September 29, just after the Jets fell to 2-2 following a 10-9 loss to the Denver Broncos.
“According to those sources, the day after the Jets’ loss to the Denver Broncos on Sept. 29, there was a contentious meeting at the team facility. It included Johnson, Douglas, vice chairman Christopher Johnson, team president Hymie Elhai, and Ira Akselrad, an adviser to Johnson. It also included a group of coaches: Saleh, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, then-defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich and special teams coordinator Brant Boyer among them.
Dianna Russini on New York Jets’ attempt to bench Aaron Rodgers
The coaches had been called in to explain what happened with their units during the 10-9 home loss to the Broncos. During the meeting, Johnson suggested to the coaches that they bench Aaron Rodgers in favor of Tyrod Taylor because he felt Rodgers’ performance was holding the team back.
The coaches and Douglas, stunned at the suggestion, talked him out of it and convinced Johnson to stay the course and that benching Rodgers, with his pedigree, four games into the season would not sit well with the locker room. The coaches also felt it would embarrass Rodgers. The idea of benching the future Hall of Famer sounded so absurd that one coach asked whether the owner was serious — multiple sources from that meeting believed he was.”
The Jets have won just one game since, rarely showing signs of a team ready to break out during the second half. Heck, the Jets even became trade deadline buyers, adding Davante Adams in hopes of turning their season around.
If the Jets discussed benching Rodgers in September, we can’t imagine how Johnson feels about the situation now. Perhaps that’s part of what led to Coach Saleh and Douglas’ departure.
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