Jets' Woody Johnson doesn't believe he's a good owner in one area

The New York Jets are 0-7 and looking to be sellers at the trade deadline. After a rough start to the Aaron Glenn era, the Jets are heading towards a winless record before the trade deadline and their Week 9 bye.

Their last chance to secure a win is a Sunday afternoon matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, in which the Jets will face a Joe Flacco-led offense without Sauce Gardner in what's shaping up to be a very tough matchup.

Ahead of that matchup, and at the NFL owners meetings, Jets' owner Woody Johnson spoke with Dianna Russini of The Athletic. When Russini asked what makes Johnson a good owner, Johnson got very candid, revealing why he thinks he's not a good owner in one phase of the job.

Woody Johnson reveals what area of being the Jets owner he's not good at

"Well," Johnson said, "I'm obviously not a good owner in terms of winning."

At 0-7, and after the recent Jets years under Johnson's ownership, it's hard to argue with Johnson's statement. But a year ago, there were other areas that players might've mentioned as areas of the job where Johnson isn't a good owner.

"In January, after hiring Glenn, Johnson admitted he needed to be a better owner." Russini writes. "He finished last in the NLFPA's annual player survey, in which he received the only "F" grade in the ownership category..."

After that low grade, Johnson made an effort to turn things around. He upgraded the locker room and spent a lot of money on Gardner, Garrett Wilson, and Jamien Sherwood. He's also bought into Glenn's vision and spent $30 million guaranteed on Justin Fields.

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While not all of the moves have gone well, like the Fields decision, the effort from Johnson is a clear indication that the Jets owner is trying to change for the better.

Johnson didn't stop at just describing himself as a bad owner in terms of winning; he dove into the topic and what he's trying to do to connect with his players.

"I think the players can relate to me in some ways, even though I don't have their background," Johnson said. "I have a certain amount of empathy, I think, that they can feel. I can't be them. I don't have their background. I didn't grow up in their neighborhood. There's no way I can completely understand what they went through and their life. But I think they know that I'm an understanding person. I'm willing to listen to anybody to tell me anything they want to tell me. I'm willing to listen to their ideas, too."

This mindset from Johnson is a positive one to have as an owner. A year ago, when he was graded as the worst owner in the NFL, his change in mindset and effort to be a better owner have the Jets heading in a better direction.

However, with a 0-7 record, it's challenging to fully embrace Johnson's changes to his mindset. Turning things around this season might be a stretch, but if the Jets can build a stronger foundation for an incoming rookie quarterback in 2026, then things might be on the upswing.

The Jets still need to get back in the win column, but at least for now, the ownership is taking a step in the right direction. While Johnson said he's not a good owner in terms of winning, the Jets owner is making an effort to change for the better after a brutal reality check from the NFLPA's player survey from a year ago.

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