Woody Johnson will defer to new regime on Aaron Rodgers

Jets owner Woody Johnson, by all appearances and plenty of reports, did more than his fair share of meddling in 2024. As to the biggest roster decision the Jets face to start the 2025 offseason, Woody has vowed to stay out of it. (Which presumably includes his sons.)

During the press conference introducing new coach Aaron Glenn and new G.M. Darren Mougey, Johnson was asked whether he'll defer to his new employees on the decision whether to bring back his highest-priced holdover.

"Absolutely," Johnson said, via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. "Aaron's a talent, for sure. He's a Hall of Famer. . . . I’m not going to voice my opinion. That's up to them."

Surely, Woody knows what they think. During a thorough search (actually thorough, not Cowboys thorough), the interviews would have included some conversation about the elephant who sucks the oxygen out of the room. And there's a good chance Woody gravitated toward candidates whose beliefs mesh with the opinion he won't express. If that's how it went, he won't need to.

Glenn's comments emphasized the importance of the entire team, not any one player.

"This thing is not about Aaron Rodgers, folks," Glenn told a scrum of reporters after the press conference. "This is about the roster. We plan on building the best roster that we can. So, whatever that may be -- guard, tackle, defensive tackle -- that's what we're evaluating."

Pressed for more about Rodgers, Glenn opted to be blunt.

"We're still in the evaluation mode, so for anybody else who's going to ask that, I'm going to give you the same answer," Glenn said. "So don't waste your time. We clear?"

Crystal.

Mougey's comments arguably included a verbal tell regarding which way the wind is blowing.

"First and foremost, I've got the utmost respect for Aaron Rogers and what he's done in this league as a player," Mougey said, via Cimini. "[He's] one of the greatest of all time to play the position -- one of the greatest players of all time."

Two words. Utmost respect. That's the pillow before the punch. No one ever expresses "utmost respect" for someone they plan to continue to employ.

All that's left is for Rodgers to eventually turn the tables and say he has the "utmost respect" for the Jets. Right before he leaves to spend more time with his — I mean, pursue other interests.