Jets owner Woody Johnson: ‘We have to produce this year,’ need ‘backup’ QB

The 2023 NFL season was a disaster for the New York Jets, and everybody involved is now on alert.

“They all got the message. This is the time to go. We have to produce this year. We have to produce this year. … It’s not a playoff mandate, but we have to do a lot better than seven [wins],” Jets owner Woody Johnson expressed to Newsday on Thursday night at NFL Honors.

New York went 7-10 for a second consecutive season, one that was sent into a whirlwind on the first possession of the season when acquired star quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending torn Achilles.

Former No. 2-overall draft pick Zach Wilson took over as the team’s starter — a position he held for the bulk of his first two seasons in the NFL (2021-22) — in the wake of Rodgers’ injury.

Apparently, the team’s owner wasn’t impressed with Wilson’s play, as Johnson said that the Jets need to add a backup quarterback this offseason because they “didn’t have one” last year, according to the New York Post.

Across the 12 games that he appeared in (11 starts), Wilson totaled 2,271 passing yards, eight passing touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 77.2 passer rating, while completing 60.1% of his passes. He also ran for 211 yards. Trevor Siemian (three starts) and Tim Boyle (two starts) also got reps at quarterback for the Jets.

A recent report detailed how Rodgers purportedly has an overwhelming voice in Jets headquarters, including in playcalling and roster decisions, with one executive referring to the situation as a “mess.”

Head coach Robert Saleh will return for a fourth season on the job. The Jets are 18-33 with Saleh as head coach and 27-56 under general manager Joe Douglas (2019-23). New York hasn’t made the playoffs since 2010.

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