Woody Johnson wanted to bench Aaron Rodgers after brutal Week 4 loss: report

As if the Jets season couldn’t get any more bizarre, a new report from The Athletic revealed that owner Woody Johnson suggested that the coaching staff bench Aaron Rodgers following the team’s Week 4 loss to the Broncos.

The outlet described the meeting that took place at the Jets’ facility in Florham Park, New Jersey, as “contentious.”

The meeting — the day after that September defeat — involved Johnson, then-general manager Joe Douglas, Jets vice chairman Christopher Johnson, team president Hymie Elhai and a senior advisor to Johnson, Ira Akselrad, according to the report. 

Then-head coach Robert Saleh, offensive coordinator Nathanial Hackett, Jeff Ulbrich, who was still the defensive coordinator at the time, and special teams coordinator Brant Boyer were also involved in the sitdown.  

It was during the session that Johnson suggested benching Rodgers, a future Hall of Fame quarterback, as the Jets owner thought that the QB’s performance had been hindering the team’s success.

The Jets were 2-2 at that point after Rodgers went 24-for-42 for 225 yards in a sloppy loss.

In his place, Johnson wanted to start backup Tyrod Taylor. 

Johnson was talked out of his drastic suggestion just four weeks into the season after the staff felt it would embarrass Rodgers, a future Hall of Famer, and create an issue inside the locker room. 

But the dominos have quickly fallen since then, with Saleh being fired by Johnson on Oct. 8 and Douglas getting let go on Tuesday during the Jets’ bye week. 

Rodgers has remained the Jets’ starter as they’ve fallen to 3-8, going 1-5 after Ulbrich took over as interim head coach.