Woody Johnson At Center of Jets Storm After Joe Douglas Firing

In light of Joe Douglas' firing as General Manager of the New York Jets, The Athletic dropped a major bombshell that indicates that owner Woody Johnson may have had more influence on football related matters than was previously thought, even going so far as to suggest that Johnson recommended to coaches that Aaron Rodgers be benched following the Jets 10-9 loss to Denver in Week 4. 

The story has taken a life of its own, with all fingers pointing back at the Jets as a likely culprit in the franchise's dysfunction. 

Woody Johnson in the crosshairs. Getty Images.

The story written by reporters Dianna Russini and Zack Rosenblatt, with a contribution from Michael Silver, intimately details the goings on in Florham Park, and boy what a read it is. 

The explosive story starts fast, in Week 4 when an angry Johnson suggested that Rodgers get benched. 

"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.."

According to the story, the coaches were so stunned by the suggestion, one coach asked Johnson if he was indeed "serious." 

Ironically enough, a week later following the Jets 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings out in London, England, Johnson fired Robert Saleh as soon as New York returned, and did so without Douglas' imput. 

The story goes on to say that Douglas' power was slowly getting stripped long before the events of October 8, two days after the Jets game in London. 

"Douglas had a contract extension offer he was getting ready to propose to defensive end Bryce Huff’s agent, but Johnson vetoed that — and any other moves involving paying new money to players on the roster.

"By January, Douglas seemed to have even less control. That’s when he fired assistant general manager Rex Hogan, a move that shocked many in the organization because of how close Douglas and Hogan — and their families — were. Multiple team sources theorized that Johnson forced Douglas’s hand; in the aftermath, Douglas told Jets staffers that “Woody should just fire me now.” 

One source even told The Athletic that it felt like the Jets were holding Douglas "hostage."

Johnson was also at the center of rejecting a trade that would have sent Allen Lazard to Denver for Jerry Jeudy; was instrumental in pushing for the signings of Tyron Smith and Mike Williams, and even helped create Haason Reddick's infamous holdout, because he didn't want to pay for a long term deal right away. 

Oddly enough, Johnson also pushed to get the Reddick deal done in October, and also pushed Douglas to trade for Devante Adams according to the report. 

Now Douglas is gone, some six weeks after Saleh went out the door. There is a belief that Aaron Rodgers will not come back next year either, and that the Jets are ready to move on. 

What a nightmare created by Johnson. Granted someone will take the GM job, and someone else will take the Head Coaching job. There are only 32 of these in the world, and they pay well, but it is hard pressed to imagine at this point any top flight candidate with a resume to speak of, and options on the table, will choose the Jets with stories like this coming out. 

Jets Fire General Manager Joe Douglas

 The New York Jets have officially fired General Manager Joe Douglas after six years on the job.

The move came Tuesday morning and was reported initially by SNY’s Connor Hughes. 

Joe Douglas, ex Jets GM. Getty Images.

 

The divorce between Douglas and the Jets was certainly expected for some time, especially after the franchise fired Head Coach Robert Saleh after a Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London, England. Six weeks later, Douglas followed his head coach out the door. The Jets are 3-8, and 30-64 under Douglas stewardship.

Two weeks ago Douglas held a cryptic press conference when he was short with his answers and looked distant with reporters outside the Jets training facility in Florham Park.

The Jets Press also reported on Sunday prior to the Jets’ 28-27 loss to the Colts that Douglas was anticipating a move, is considering returning to the Baltimore Ravens, and was looking for “real estate” in the Baltimore area.

“He welcomed this change,” Hughes said of Douglas on SNY. 

 

 Hughes added that quarterback Aaron Rodgers had nothing to do with Douglas’ firing at all. “Aaron Rodgers wants to play football in 2025,” Hughes said. “Continuity and stability were main factors to plays for the Jets in 2025.”

Retaining the front office, namely Joe Douglas, was something Rodgers was looking for according to Hughes.

If that is accurate, it would likely indicate that Rodgers’ tumultuous time with the Jets could be coming to a close soon as well.

DeVito Gets the Start for Giants vs. Bucs

 The Daniel Jones Era appears to be over in New York. The Giants officially benched Jones in favor of third-string quarterback Tommy DeVito as Big Blue returns from its bye week this week to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. 

Tommy DeVito, Giants. Getty Images.

 DeVito gets the nod to start over backup Drew Lock mainly because the math makes the most sense. Lock is on a one-year, $5 million deal. He has no future with the Giants beyond this season. According to CBS Sports, Lock would be due increments of $250,000 a piece should he hit certain incentives like percentage of snaps played, completion percentage, and quarterback rating.

DeVito has an exclusive rights-free agent in 2025, meaning he could be back next year in some sort of role with the team. Plus he was a fan favorite when he came in the stead of Daniel Jones last season, and led the Giants to three straight wins over the Commanders, Patriots, and Packers last December.

Read more on my story via FOX SPORTS NEW JERSEY!! 

Giants Very, Very Quiet at Trade Deadline

 The New York Giants were extremely quiet at the NFL Trade deadline on Tuesday. 

Granted New York is 2-7, they aren't going anywhere, but they couldn't find any suitors for two of their prominent soon-to-be free agents: wide receiver Darius Slayton and edge rusher Azeez Ojulari. 

Azeez Ojulari goes after Mac Jones in 2023. Getty Images. 

According to Dianna Russini of  The Athletic, the Giants asked for a fourth or high fifth round pick for Ojulari who has six sacks this season, and 22 sacks in his career. At 24-years old, he is going to be a prime target for teams once he hits the open market next spring. 

As for Slayton, he is the Giants leading receiver, and could hit a career best 800 yards receiving this season. He was a fifth round selection back in 2019, and is a free agent this spring. 

Jets Trade Williams to Steelers at Deadline

Mike Williams we hardly knew ye.

The New York Jets shipped Williams, the lanky 6-foot-4 wide receiver to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a fifth round pick as the NFL trade deadline came and went Tuesday afternoon.

The move was not that surprising, and made sense for both sides.

Mike Williams - Getty Images. 

For the Jets, Williams became expendable when New York acquired Pro Bowl receiver Devante Adams two weeks ago in a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. Since joining New York, Adams has seen 26 targets from quarterback Aaron Rodgers, catching 12 passes including a 37-yard touchdown last week against Houston.

Williams on the other hand saw his production dip since the deal, with only four targets in the last three games combined.

Many feel that Rodgers lost trust in Williams after the receiver ran the wrong route at the end of a Monday Night game against Buffalo on the last play of the game. The play ended in a Rodgers interception as Buffalo won 23-20 on October 14.

Rodgers was critical of Williams in the post game for running the wrong route.

As for the Steelers they have been looking for wide receiver help for a while. They kicked the tires on Brandon Aiyuk when he held out over the summer with the 49ers, and even inquired on Davante Adams with the Raiders earlier in the year.

Williams now gives Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson a solid number two receiver to throw to behind George Pickens.

The Jets 3-6 are clinging to their fleeting playoff hopes this weekend when they visit the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Dodgers Take World Series Thanks to Yankees Miscues

 Thanks to an unfathomable New York implosion that started in the top of the fifth inning of Game 5 and carried until Alex Verdugo struck out for the final out of the night, the Dodgers edged out the Yankees 7-6 to take the World Series in five games.

For a few innings, it felt like the Yankees would be on their way to sending the series back to Los Angeles for Game 6.

Gerrit Cole looks on in frustration. Getty Images.

Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning, and Giancarlo Stanton hit a solo shot in the fourth to stake New York to a 5-0 lead.

Then the bottom fell out in the top of the fifth as the Yankees fumbled it away.

Judge dropped a pop-up by Tommy Edman to get the ball rolling in the wrong direction. Then Anthony Volpe threw the ball away on an attempted play at third, allowing Kike Hernandez to reach safely.

Finally, Mookie Betts reached first base on an infield single when Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rizzo miscommunicated who would get to the first base bag. The Dodgers scored a run on the play to make it 5-1.

The floodgates opened when Freddie Freeman lined a two-run single to center, and Toscar Hernandez tied the game on a loud two-run double to center.

Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman celebrate. Getty Images.

All the runs were unearned to Cole’s line. Give credit to Cole for bouncing back. He would return to pitch nearly two full innings of shutout baseball and left with the lead when New York scratched out a run on a Stanton Sac Fly in the sixth inning.

It didn't get any better later. 

 Tommy Kanhle and Luke Weaver struggled to get out of the eighth inning, as the Dodgers grabbed the lead right back.

Kanhle loaded the bases on two singles and a walk before Will Lux hit a sac fly to drive in Kike Hernandez with the tying run.

Next Shohei Ohtani reached on catchers interference, a call that was challenged by the Yankees and upheld. After a balk was called on Weaver, Mookie Betts skied to center to drive in Edman with the winning run. 

It was as much a Yankees collapse as it was the Dodgers doing the little things to take the Series in the Bronx.

The Yankees in 2024 were a good team, but a flawed one as well. They didn’t do the fundamental things right all the time, and it showed in this World Series.