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Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer
After falling to 2-2 with a one-point loss to the Denver Broncos, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson called an internal meeting on Sept. 30 with his top football people. In that meeting, Johnson — concerned about the direction of the team — broached the idea of benching quarterback Aaron Rodgers, multiple sources confirmed to ESPN.
Johnson’s alleged suggestion, first reported by The Athletic, triggered different reactions. One source, who attended the meeting, indicated that it was “said in jest in a provocative nature.” Others in the meeting interpreted it differently.
One source said Johnson appeared to be serious, while another said, “If Woody really wanted Rodgers benched, he would’ve been benched.”
Rodgers survived the threat — it’s unclear if he knew about it — but two people in the meeting are no longer with the team. Eight days later, Johnson fired coach Robert Saleh after three-plus seasons. On Tuesday, general manager Joe Douglas met the same fate after five-plus seasons on the job.
The Jets (3-8), one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments, are poised for an organizational reset in the offseason. The search for a new GM already is underway, Johnson announced Tuesday.
The Sept. 30 meeting, previously reported by ESPN, turned out to be a watershed moment in the season. It created tension in the building, with one source saying at the time that Johnson was “out for blood.”
Typically, Johnson meets with Douglas and Saleh after every game. This one was a larger scale meeting because it included the three coordinators and other members of the front office, which changed the tenor. People were stunned when Rodgers’ job status was mentioned.
The four-time MVP didn’t play particularly well in the 10-9 loss to the Broncos, a game in which the Jets failed to score a touchdown, but the idea of replacing him with Tyrod Taylor seemed extreme. Two weeks later, the Jets made a move designed to help Rodgers, acquiring his close friend Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders. Johnson pushed for the trade, sources said, agreeing to pick up more than $11 million in remaining 2024 salary.
“If Woody really wanted Rodgers benched, he would’ve been benched,” one source said.
Rodgers has yet to comment on Johnson’s alleged suggestion he be benched.
Johnson, 77, has taken a more hands-on approach since the end of last season in both personnel and contract matters. Just last week, he instructed interim coach Jeff Ulbrich to bench safety Tony Adams, sources said. Johnson also has attended daily meetings — classroom sessions with coaches and players.
He recently called this his best roster in 25 years of ownership, expressing confidence — even after firing Saleh — that it would snap the franchise’s 13-year playoff drought. The Jets are on the verge of mathematical elimination, but there should be plenty of drama, starting with Rodgers.
Rodgers, who turns 41 on Dec. 2, has said he’d like to play in 2025, but that likely won’t be with the Jets. One source said he’d be “shocked” if Johnson signs off on another year of Rodgers, who is mired in one of the worst statistical years of his legendary career.
Davante Adams’ future also will be a key storyline. He’s under contract for 2025, but his cap charge is a prohibitive $38.3 million, meaning he’d have to renegotiate to stay. On Wednesday, he said he wants his future to be in New York.
“I hope it is,” he told Kay Adams during his weekly spot on the “Up & Adams” podcast. “I see us being a winning organization regardless of what you see on the outside.”