Christopher Johnson loves the 'character' the Jets have shown so far
Jets owner Christopher Johnson walks out onto the field during practice before an NFL game on Nov. 3, 2019, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Credit: AP/Lynne Sladky
After the first game of the season, when Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles and the Jets came back to beat the Bills, vice chairman Christopher Johnson raved about the resiliency of the team.
More than a month later he still is . . . and he seems a little surprised by that.
“This team has character,” Johnson told reporters at the NFL’s fall league meeting in Manhattan on Tuesday. “We've all seen Jets teams pack it in in the past, or mail it in. And these guys haven't done that. They're seemingly rising. And we love to see it.”
The Jets are 3-3 at their bye week despite not having Rodgers for all but the first four offensive snaps of the season. On Sunday, they beat the previously undefeated Eagles with a riotous comeback at MetLife Stadium. That situation clearly has everyone in the organization brimming with confidence.
“Coach Saleh said it the other day: We think they can go toe-to-toe with any team out there, and it's awesome,” Johnson said.
The one thing that can make it better? Getting Rodgers back. While Johnson is not counting on that happening, he isn’t discounting it either.
“I've had a couple of conversations with him on FaceTime, which he likes, and also back in New York,” Johnson said. “And it's cool to see him manifesting, as he puts it. I'm not going to not believe that at this point. He is superhuman. Just doing those passes [on the field before Sunday’s game], I mean, just walking, it's absolutely amazing. I'm not going to say he can't do it. It would be cool to see if he did it. So we will see.”
As for Giants ownership, John Mara and Steve Tisch both walked into the meetings without answering any questions from reporters seeking comment on the disappointing 1-5 start to their season. The Giants were a playoff team a year ago and won a postseason game against the Vikings, which prompted Mara to tell reporters at the time: “We’re back!” Since then, though, the team has struggled and now seems destined to miss a return trip to the playoffs. Only three teams have rebounded from 1-5 to make the postseason since the 1970 merger: Cincinnati in 1970, Kansas City in 2015 and Indianapolis in 2018.
NFL DREAM TEAM COMING?
One of the big buzzes at the meeting was Monday’s announcement that American flag football will be an official sport in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, opening the possibility of a “Dream Team” of NFL players competing in the sport. Already stars such as Tyreek Hill and retired tight end Rob Gronkowski have expressed interest in participating. There may also be NFL players on the field for other countries; there are currently 113 foreign-born players in the league.
“We understand the desire,” NFL executive Peter O’Reilly said. “We think it’s a great opportunity because the player interest is real and desirable.”
There is nothing in the CBA that would prevent athletes from competing in the Olympics, and the dates of the 2028 Games in July certainly fit neatly into the NFL’s calendar, but convincing owners to let their multi-million dollar investments risk potential injury in such a manner may take some doing.
The benefit to owners, of course, is an expansion of their international vision for the sport, which itself would increase revenue. O’Reilly called the Games a “major catalyst” that will “tie in” to those efforts to spread American football globally.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
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