Jets owner Woody Johnson keeps finding new ways to embarrass himself

The New York Jets’ soon-to-be 15-year playoff drought has produced no shortage of low moments. But somehow, Woody Johnson always finds a way to add another one.

The latest came on Thursday when it was reported that NFL owners have filed a grievance against the NFL Players Association in an attempt to eliminate the league’s annual “report cards," a program designed to give players an anonymous outlet to grade their organizations.

And wouldn’t you know it, Jets owner Woody Johnson was reportedly the key figurehead behind this NFLPA backlash. It’s not hard to see why.

Johnson was the only owner in the NFL to receive an “F” grade from his players last year, part of a broader report that ranked the Jets 29th overall and cited a “culture of fear” within the organization.

At the time, Johnson responded by calling the results “totally bogus,” effectively accusing his own players of lying. Now, he’s reportedly trying to erase the entire system because he didn’t like the feedback.

Have some shame, man.

Jets fans slam Woody Johnson over latest humiliation

The NFLPA’s survey was introduced to encourage accountability across the league, spotlighting organizations that invest in their players and those that don’t. For most owners, it’s been an opportunity to learn where their teams fall short. For Johnson, it’s apparently been an opportunity to wage war against transparency.

That’s especially ironic considering how he described himself when speaking to reporters earlier this year.

“Well, I’m obviously not a good owner in terms of winning,” Johnson admitted at the NFL league meetings in October. “I have a certain amount of empathy, I think, that [players] can feel… I’m willing to listen to anybody to tell me anything they want to tell me. I’m willing to listen to their ideas, too.”

Those comments, which were laughable at the time, haven’t exactly aged well. The same owner who once touted empathy and openness is now trying to silence a platform that gives his players a voice. That's the kind of tone-deaf overreaction that has defined Johnson’s tenure with the Jets.

The Jets haven’t made the playoffs since 2010, the longest active drought in any major American sport. Johnson has overseen it all, cementing his place among the league’s least successful owners when it comes to on-field results.

Even as the team tries to build a new foundation under head coach Aaron Glenn, Johnson’s latest antics serve as a reminder that some problems can’t be fixed by scheme or culture.

Instead of focusing on building a winning organization, Johnson remains obsessed with managing his image, even if it means fighting against his own players to do it. And that’s exactly why the Jets keep finding themselves here, year after year, headline after headline.

At this point, the only thing Woody Johnson seems willing to improve is his public embarrassment record. This is pathetic.