Rumors of a rift between New York Jets owner Woody Johnson and head coach Robert Saleh swirled in the NFL world over the last week. Johnson wants all who caught wind of an alleged intense argument between the two to pay no mind to what he deemed on X as false reporting of events that transpired at the NFL league meetings on Monday:
“All this nonsense about a heated argument between Coach Saleh and me at the league meeting is absolutely false,” Johnson wrote on X. “It is yet another irresponsible report from NFL Network. Please disregard.”
Jets: What led to rumors of Woody Johnson and Robert Saleh’s heated argument?
NFL Network’s Colleen Wolfe originally revealed that the 76-year-old and Saleh had a war of words in a private setting, as one of her sources confirmed to her. It became a major talking point as the Jets have seemingly improved their roster and look like dark horses to make a Super Bowl run next season. However, she could not prove the contents of their conversation, nor the extent to which they showed animosity toward one another.
Despite citing body language and tone as cause to label their interaction as a feud, Johnson adamantly shot down those claims and all others that suggest that he may be on the outs with the 47-year-old head coach. They were also shot down by SNY reporter Connor Hughes’ firsthand account of what went down at the event.
Are there underlying tensions between Johnson and Saleh that could jeopardize the Jets’ 2024 NFL season?
Neither have pre-existing qualms with one another. However, as Newsweek’s James Brizuela noted, the billionaire Johnson & Johnson founder was irate after the Jets’ underachieving 7-10 finish to the 2023 NFL campaign, which could be the reason why intense exchanges may be happening behind the scenes.
As of now, Saleh’s job is safe with the Jets. Johnson and his front office have executed shrewd moves in the offseason to stack the deck on the offensive and defensive lines as well as upgrading their second outside wide receiver spot.
Wolfe apologized for the questionable reporting after the fact, further nullifying her alleged claims. Coach Saleh will be vital to the Jets’ success in 2024. His schematics on both sides of the football will be a huge determinant in how far the Super Bowl contenders can go next season. He and Johnson will need to be on the same page to prevent internal friction from spoiling their outlook.