New York Jets Owner Criticized Decision-Makers' Draft Picks Behind Their Backs

A lot has gone wrong for the New York Jets over the past decade-plus, but finding a franchise quarterback has been the center of it all.

Having an elite quarterback is needed to win in the NFL, and instead of finding one, the Jets have often drafted, traded for, or signed the wrong players throughout the team's existence.

It's been an unfortunate reality for New York fans, but there have been some decent draft picks along the way in other positions.

If it weren't for some of the moves the front office, despite many not being with the organization anymore, had made in the draft over the past few years, things would likely somehow be much worse.

Owner Woody Johnson hasn't been a fan of some of the Jets draft picks. So much so that he's spoken poorly about his front office personnel behind their backs after making draft selections in the past, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic.

One such incident came in 2016 when the Jets were under the leadership of then-general manager Mike Maccagnan.

"During the annual NFL Draft, Johnson is known to keep to himself while decisions are being made, according to one former executive, then exit the room and retreat to a nearby snack bar with confidants to make “smart-ass lines” about the front office’s decisions. Team decision-makers didn’t appreciate Johnson’s after-the-fact critiques, but the owner was occasionally proven correct: The executive remembers Johnson being especially vocal when former general manager Mike Maccagnan drafted quarterback Christian Hackenberg out of Penn State in the second round of the 2016 Draft. Hackenberg never played a regular-season snap for the Jets."

Johnson has a big hand in the organization's decisions, and every New York fan knows how many of them have been wrong.

If his front office didn't make the right move here and there, which they should be criticized for in some sense, just not behind their backs, he shouldn't look at those moves differently than what he's done.

If Johnson wants to go around and victory lap all of the moves that haven't worked out, that shows more incompetence on his part.

Not only is he not acting in a professional manner, but these are the same people he hired. If he wants better decisions to be made, he needs to hire better executives. It's that simple.

The fact of the matter is that Johnson has way too much involvement in the organization; instead of taking the blame, he wants to put it on others. If he hasn't found out by now, that's not a recipe for success for an organization.

It's not clear how this reporting or Johnson's pattern of behavior will influence who he hires, or who accepts, the job of general manager and head coach. He is looking for both after the firings of Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh, respectively, moves triggered by Johnson in-season.