New York Jets owner Woody Johnson vowed to step aside this season so Aaron Glenn could run the team unencumbered by his meddling. But fans knew it was only a matter of time before Johnson made himself part of the narrative in 2025. On Tuesday, the Jets owner offered support for his beleaguered head coach while burying Glenn’s hand-picked starting quarterback.
Justin Fields was asked for his reaction to Johnson’s comments. And despite the ubiquitous reporting of the owner’s critique, Fields claimed he “didn’t see any comments” because he’s “not on social media,” per SNY Videos.
The Jets erstwhile starting QB then learned that Woody placed the blame for New York's abysmal start squarely on Fields' shoulders.
“It doesn’t bother me. It doesn’t. Of course, everybody knows I need to play better. We need to play better as a team. And of course no matter how the offense does as a unit, I’m going to get the blame. And I understand that. That’s just what comes with the job,” Fields said.
“You can’t let anything affect your mind… No matter if it’s him, no matter if it’s family members, even teammates sometimes. There’s going to be times where you have to be the only one who believes in yourself. So, like I said, that’s his opinion… Like I told you after the game on Sunday, I’m at peace. My focus right now is working each and every day and getting better,” Fields added.
Justin Fields learns of Jets owner's criticism
After sticking to his word to take a back seat in 2025 for Glenn’s sake, Johnson had remained out of the spotlight he so coveted during the 2024 campaign. But that lasted less than two months.
The owner opted to defend his first-year head coach by throwing Fields under the bus, lamenting the team’s inability to “just complete a pass.”
Discussing Glenn’s unprecedentedly miserable start with New York, Johnson said, “It’s hard when you have a quarterback with a rating that we’ve got.” Adding, “If you look at any head coach with a quarterback like that, you’re going to see similar results.”
Fields has, predictably, been terrible as the Jets starter. But he’s not responsible for the team’s uncanny lack of discipline, penchant for penalties, inability to force turnovers and a slew of other issues that have contributed to Glenn’s 0-7 start – the worst ever for a rookie Jets head coach.
Fields was finally benched after a miserable first half in Week 7. Now Glenn must decide if the benching will be permanent or if Fields is his starter moving forward. It’s clear which way Johnson is leaning.
