NY Jets coaches were forced to bench defensive starter by ownership

The NY Jets' defense has taken a significant step back in 2024, and while some of that can be blamed on the departure of Robert Saleh, a number of players on the roster have also simply regressed from the 2023 versions of themselves.

Jets owner Woody Johnson took it upon himself to fix the Jets' defensive issues — even if his controversial decision to fire Saleh midseason ultimately tanked the entire unit.

As part of The Athletic's extensive report detailing Johnson's dysfunction released on Tuesday, it was revealed that the Jets owner forced interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich to bench starting safety Tony Adams this past week.

Adams had been a regular starter in the Jets' defense over the last two seasons and was considered one of the best development success stories of the Saleh era. However, for whatever reason, Johnson identified him as the scapegoat for the team's defensive woes.

Tony Adams was scapegoated by Woody Johnson

Originally signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022, Adams took over as a full-time starter in 2023 and has played at a relatively league-average level. Of all the players to identify as a scapegoat on the Jets' defense, Adams makes very little sense.

The former Illinois standout ranks 16th among 63 safeties to play at least 400 defensive snaps in 2024 with a rock-solid 69.0 Pro Football Focus grade. His 73.1 PFF coverage grade actually ranks ninth among all qualified safeties.

Adams has been credited with allowing just 11 catches this season, tied for the 13th fewest among qualifiers. He's been an above-average coverage safety, even if he's often been miscast as a box player.

Part of the issue with Adams has been tackling. His 10 missed tackles rank second-worst on the Jets' roster behind Jamien Sherwood. Still, it hasn't been a serious enough problem to warrant a benching.

Sherwood has four more missed tackles and has similarly struggled in run defense. Fellow safety Jalen Mills, who has played just six games this season, only has one less missed tackle than Adams. Mills has unequivocally been worse than his position-mate, both in coverage and as a tackler.

It's also important to note that Adams is just 25 years old in his third NFL season. The Jets' safety room is almost entirely comprised of veteran stop-gaps like Mills, Chuck Clark, and Isaiah Oliver who likely don't have much of a future with the team.

Adams is the only one who might be able to stick around as a long-term starter. Benching him only makes the evaluation process of the next regime that much more difficult. It potentially creates another roster hole the Jets would have to fill this offseason.

Of course, there were more troubling aspects of that report that have stolen the headlines. From nearly benching Aaron Rodgers to vetoing trades, Johnson has flexed his power over the last 10 months.

But that doesn't make this decision any less frustrating. The Jets' defensive coaching staff helped develop Adams from an unknown undrafted rookie to a quality starting safety only for their overbearing owner to force him to the bench.

That's deeply unfortunate for everyone involved, but especially for Adams who worked hard to carve out an NFL career only to become a billionaire owner's sacrificial lamb. Here's to hoping Adams is able to get back on track with the next Jets regime.

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