Woody Johnson reportedly rejected Jerry Jeudy Jets trade due to ... Madden ratings?
Ready for the latest damning “THAT’S SO JETS” story?
Here’s one from The Athletic: apparently, the New York Jets were thinking about trading for then-Broncos wideout Jerry Jeudy.
Owner Woody Johnson was typing on his phone. Then, when GM Joe Douglas spoke with the Broncos, he ” told the Broncos that Johnson didn’t want to make the trade because the owner felt Jeudy’s player rating in ‘Madden NFL,’ the popular video game, wasn’t high enough, according to multiple league sources.”
Huh? What the? Why? Does Woody play Madden? Here’s some insight from the piece that points to reported influence from his sons:
When Johnson left for the U.K. in 2017, his sons, Brick and Jack, were 11 and 9, respectively. When he returned, they were teenagers. Last year, Johnson started including his sons in some meetings at the team facility. For some Jets employees, the sons’ increasing involvement clarified their father’s propensity for sharing posts from X and articles from various outlets, including a blog called “Jets X-Factor,” with the organization’s top decision-makers.
“When we’re discussing things, you’ll hear Woody cite something that Brick or Jack read online that’s being weighed equally against whatever opinion someone else in the department has,” said one Jets executive. …
Johnson’s reference to Jeudy’s “Madden” rating was, to some in the Jets’ organization, a sign of Brick and Jack’s influence. Another example came when Johnson pushed back on signing free-agent guard John Simpson due to a lackluster “awareness” rating in Madden. The Jets signed Simpson anyway, and he has had a solid season: Pro Football Focus currently has him graded as the eighth-best guard in the NFL.
The Jets denied that the Johnson kids had a hand in making calls, but this isn’t great!