Latest On Dolphins’ QB Change
Having demoted quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a third-string role earlier this week, the Dolphins may be in the early stages of moving on from their longtime starter. Head coach Mike McDaniel said owner Stephen Ross had no say in the team’s quarterback change, but the financial ramifications are hard to ignore.
If Tagovailoa plays again this season, suffers an injury, and can’t pass a physical when the Dolphins attempt to release him (assuming they do), they’ll owe him an additional $17MM, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes. The Dolphins are already on the hook for $54MM in guarantees in 2026 as part of the four-year, $212.4MM extension they gave Tagovailoa in July 2024. Adding another $17MM to that total would be an unwelcome development for Miami, which is nearing the end of its second straight season without a playoff berth.
The Dolphins don’t have any future financial concerns with their other veteran QB, pending free agent Zach Wilson. They could have plugged the former second overall pick and ex-Jets starter in to replace Tagovailoa, but they’ll instead turn to seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers. The Texas product will start against the Bengals on Sunday.
McDaniel told reporters Wilson was “very disappointed” in the decision, but the coach added: “Ultimately, it’s flat out as easy is Quinn’s disposition, his relationship with his teammates and the motivation. Our team with him as the starting quarterback gives us the best opportunity to beat the Bengals.”
Although McDaniel isn’t assured of returning as the Dolphins’ head coach in 2026, it appears likely that he will. If he no longer regards Tagovailoa as a potential answer for next year, it makes sense to evaluate Ewers before season’s end. In his only action to date, the 22-year-old went 5 for 8 for 53 yards in a loss to the Browns in Week 7. The Dolphins will have a better idea of how to proceed in the offseason after getting a longer look at Ewers.
While Ewers will audition for the starting job, McDaniel isn’t publicly closing the door on Tagovailoa.
“I still believe that his growth can continue,” said McDaniel, who credited Tagovailoa with his handling of the news, stating he “exhibited what made him a captain and leader on this team.”
Jaylen Waddle, Miami’s top receiver, revealed that Tagovailoa has been actively helping Ewers prepare for the Cincinnati game, according to Jackson. Tagovailoa may finish out the year assisting Ewers behind the scenes, but an answer on his fate in Miami should arrive soon after that. If the Dolphins don’t cut the cord on Tagovailoa by March 13, they’ll owe him another $3MM.
Dolphins Demote Tua Tagovailoa To Third-String QB
Mike McDaniel confirmed the Tua Tagovailoa benching news. While Quinn Ewers will start, the fourth-year HC said (via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero) Miami’s longtime starter will drop to the third-string level.
This means Zach Wilson will work as Ewers’ backup. Tagovailoa’s demotion is quite similar to how the Jets initially proceeded when they benched Wilson in 2022. The former No. 2 overall pick dropped from first to third string when benched in November of that year. While he did move back up, the Jets attempted to keep Wilson out of the lineup by trading for Aaron Rodgers in April 2023.
McDaniel said (via the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson) ownership did not influence this move; prior to the fourth-year HC’s presser, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted the same. McDaniel said this decision is entirely based on which quarterback gives the team its best chance to win. “This team needs convicted quarterback play — I thought Quinn gave us the best chance to do that,” McDaniel said, via ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques.
Still, moving a $53.1MM-per-year passer two spots down the depth chart is a big-picture decision — even if McDaniel did not say this call pertains to 2026 just yet. The Dolphins are taking a one-week approach at QB, per Fowler, though it is expected Ewers — a would-be mid-round pick who fell to the seventh — will be expected to start more than one game. When asked why Ewers received the call, Wilson — Tagovailoa’s backup for most of this season — expressed some frustration and confusion (via Jackson)
While Tua has handled the demotion “like a pro,” per Fowler, buzz about the Dolphins moving on in 2026 is already naturally emerging. The player McDaniel (and Tyreek Hill) elevated beginning in 2022 is owed $54MM guaranteed next year. This is split between a $39MM base salary and a $15MM option bonus. An additional $3MM (part of Tagovailoa’s 2027 compensation) would become guaranteed March 13, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano.
If the Dolphins were to move on via release before that date, it would bring a record-smashing — which is saying something given the Russell Wilson release price — $99.2MM in dead money. Miami would certainly choose to divide that between 2026 and ’27, but moving on from Tagovailoa in 2026 would create a considerable roster-building challenge regardless of where the salary cap settles.
Russell Wilson tagged the Broncos with nearly $85MM in dead cap in 2024. While Denver has managed to withstand that en route to the AFC’s No. 1 position as of this week, the team carried $53MM on its 2024 payroll and $32MM this year. That has meant the Broncos have not enjoyed the benefits from the Bo Nix rookie contract, though the team will in 2026 once the Wilson albatross comes off the payroll.
Were the Dolphins to find a trade taker willing to fork over Tua’s $54MM guaranteed in a pre-March 13 trade, they could drop the dead money to $45MM. We heard last month, however, league interest in Tagovailoa is minimal. Interest in the QB would make sense based on his highpoints in 2022 and ’23, though his injury issues undercut that. A trade would presumably require Miami to pick up a portion — perhaps a substantial piece — of the QB’s 2026 guarantees.
The Giants also made this move with Daniel Jones, moving Tommy DeVito from the No. 3 spot on the depth chart to No. 1 last year. New York soon released Jones. Tagovailoa’s dead money number — on an extension that runs through 2028 — will prevent any 2025 action on this contract.
Before the Jones demotion, Wilson received similar news. After being dropped from No. 1 to No. 3 on the Jets’ 2022 depth chart, he did climb back to the second-string position before making a start late that season. Robert Saleh benched Wilson in-game and had him slotted behind Rodgers following the 2023 trade. Though, Wilson reemerged to make 11 starts in 2023 after Rodgers’ Achilles tear.
Saleh benched Wilson again in ’23, and the Jets traded him to the Broncos — in a deal that involved the Jets picking up salary — in April 2024. Wilson was Denver’s third-stringer throughout last season but still fetched a $6MM guarantee from Miami — more than Mac Jones or Trey Lance received on the market — in free agency. However, McDaniel had demoted Wilson once before this season, dropping him from second to third. The embattled HC reversed course soon after, however, and Wilson backed up Tua. He will now back up Ewers, continuing a wildly disappointing career.
Dolphins Could Bench QB Tua Tagovailoa; Latest On HC Mike McDaniel
The 2-7 Dolphins have parted ways with longtime general manager Chris Grier and are already looking ahead to next season. As part of their evaluation process, the ‘Fins could consider benching starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link).
There were rumblings to that effect last month, but Tagovailoa responded with his best outing of the season in a 34-10 win over the Falcons. Unfortunately, he submitted a mediocre performance in Thursday night’s loss to the Ravens, and it now appears a demotion is on the table, with Rapoport saying the southpaw is “playing to keep his job.”
Following Grier’s departure, head coach Mike McDaniel – who was considered the savior of Tagovailoa’s career not too long ago – was said to be safe through at least the end of the 2025 campaign. Subsequent reports from Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required) and Rapoport echo the notion that owner Stephen Ross still believes in McDaniel and wants him on the sidelines for the long haul.
But Tagovailoa almost certainly represents McDaniel’s best chance to keep his job. After all, the other passers on the roster are Zach Wilson – one of the biggest draft busts in recent history – and seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers. Rapoport describes Ewers as “impressive,” but after briefly overtaking Wilson for Miami’s QB2 role, the Texas product has been relegated back to the third position on the depth chart.
There could be some value in seeing what Ewers has to offer, though it would be hard for an outsider to see the same value in having Wilson take the reins. Still, if Tagovailoa keeps throwing interceptions – he presently leads the league with 11 picks – it appears McDaniel could consider a switch (if that does happen, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald suggests McDaniel should make sure Ross would not hold any ensuing offensive struggles against him).
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, meanwhile, believes the Dolphins are likely to part ways with McDaniel at season’s end. In Florio’s estimation, Tagovailoa’s contract situation – he is due $54MM in guaranteed money in 2026 – could make the Miami HC post less attractive to top coaching candidates, unless the Dolphins perform poorly enough to assure themselves of one of the top QB prospects in next year’s draft class.
Rapoport suggests the most viable option for the Dolphins with respect to Tagovailoa is to pay down some of the money he is owed in order to facilitate an offseason trade to a club with a need for a bridge passer. A pre-June 1 release is impossible due to the dead money hit it would generate, and even a post-June 1 release would be problematic from a cap standpoint. Of course, Miami could simply keep Tagovailoa as its starter (or possible bridge) and hope he can return to the form that earned him his $53.1MM/year deal in the first place.
Dolphins Reinstall Zach Wilson As QB2
Tua Tagovailoa‘s performance has been a bigger issue than usual health concerns this season, as the Dolphins are 2-6 and headed toward the trade deadline as a potential seller. The team’s standing has naturally invited speculation about Mike McDaniel and Chris Grier‘s Miami futures.
Fortunately for the team, Tagovailoa has stayed healthy this season. Concussion concerns engulfed the quarterback (and the Dolphins as a whole) in 2022 and ’24, and another hip injury cropped up at the end of last season. Tua’s health history made the Dolphins’ QB2 role rather important, highlighting a curious choice Grier and McDaniel made in the offseason.
[RELATED: McDaniel-Grier Not Seen As Package Deal]
On Day 1 of the legal tampering period, Miami signed Zach Wilson to a fully guaranteed one-year, $6MM deal. This came after the Broncos buried the former No. 2 overall pick as their third-stringer throughout the 2024 season. Wilson faceplanted as the Jets’ starter, being benched three times from 2022-23. Wilson also lost his Dolphins backup job to rookie Quinn Ewers last week.
Heading into tonight’s game, however, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe notes Wilson will be the Dolphins’ top backup once again. An ongoing practice competition led McDaniel to demote Wilson previously for Ewers, but the team has flipflopped on that change ahead of Week 9. Though, Wolfe does not make it sound like Ewers will not have another chance to climb the depth chart this season.
Wilson has yoyoed around depth charts since a November 2022 Jets benching. He has started, dropped to third string, climbed back to the QB2 level, started for the Jets again and spent a full season back at QB3 in Denver. The Broncos viewed Jarrett Stidham as a better backup for Bo Nix last season, after Wilson had participated in a three-man starter competition. Denver re-signed Stidham (two years, $12MM) shortly before free agency, leading Wilson elsewhere. Wilson has completed 6 of 9 passes in reserve duty this season.
Considering the consequences the Jets faced for not backstopping Aaron Rodgers with a more reliable option in 2023, the Dolphins showing faith in Wilson behind one of the league’s most injury-prone QBs injected considerable risk into the equation. But the Wilson signing — for more guaranteed money than fellow 2021 first-rounders Mac Jones or Trey Lance received in free agency — showed the former top prospect still has believers around the league. That makes Ewers’ short-lived ascent more interesting, even though McDaniel said part of the reason the rookie usurped Wilson was opponent-driven. Wilson losing his job for any reason is obviously notable given his career trajectory.
Arch Manning‘s Texas predecessor was viewed as a candidate to go as high as Day 2, but he tumbled to Round 7. The three-year Longhorns starter who twice quarterbacked his team into the CFP semifinals, Ewers received his first NFL game work in Week 7. He went 5-for-8 in the Dolphins’ loss to the Browns. With Ewers profiling as a potential long-term Tagovailoa backup, it proved notable he was given an early chance to overtake Wilson — rather than learn in a true redshirt year. It will be interesting to see if the Dolphins make another switch, which would drop Wilson’s stock further ahead of another free agency try for the BYU product.
No Dolphins Firings Imminent; Tua Tagovailoa To Remain Starting QB
After their lopsided Week 7 loss, the Dolphins were once again the focus of speculation about major changes taking place. For now, though, the status quo remains.
No changes on the coaching staff or in the front office are currently expected, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Head coach Mike McDaniel‘s job security has been a talking point all season, but on multiple occasions he has been viewed as being safe from a firing. The same holds true for general manager Chris Grier despite Miami’s 1-6 record and continued regression dating back to last season.
As improvement is sought out throughout the organization, changes on the depth chart will be something to watch for. McDaniel said yesterday that “everything is on the table” in that regard, which led to questions about even a move as noteworthy as benching Tua Tagovailoa taking place. At least for now, that will not be the case. McDaniel later confirmed Tagovailoa will remain atop the depth chart.
That comes as little surprise given the Dolphins’ investment in this case. Tagovailoa is under contract through 2028, and he is already owed $54MM in guarantees for next year. The 27-year-old’s best seasons have come under McDaniel, but even without any injury concerns he has not been able to consistently perform at a high level in 2025. Tagovailoa has thrown at least one interception in five of his seven games this year, and limiting turnovers will be key if the Dolphins are to rebound in the second half of the campaign.
McDaniel added (via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques) he and Tagovailoa engaged in “direct communication” about Sunday’s loss to the Browns yesterday while breaking down film together. He added that is a process which has already been repeated on multiple occasions in 2025. Needless to say, things have not gone according to plan in terms of performance at the quarterback spot this season, leading to speculation about a potential change in the depth chart.
As for the backup gig, seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers saw time late in Week 7 after he overtook Zach Wilson for the QB2 role days earlier. McDaniel said (via Louis-Jacques) an open competition will take place this week for the backup spot, adding he hopes that will not become a regular occurrence. Wilson was traded by the Jets to the Broncos last spring; after not seeing any playing time in Denver, the former No. 2 pick returned to the AFC East in free agency by signing with Miami.
Neither Ewers nor Wilson will be expected to play in Week 8 barring any injuries on Tagovailoa’s part. In any case, the quarterback position will be one to watch closely as McDaniel and Co. continue their efforts to avoid a continuation of the Dolphins’ unwanted start to the campaign.
Quinn Ewers’ Agent Explains Draft Slide
Quinn Ewers didn’t do enough during the 2024 campaign to warrant being one of the first quarterbacks off the draft board. Still, it was a surprise when the Texas signal caller slid all the way to the seventh round, and he was ultimately the final QB taken when he was selected by the Dolphins at No. 231.
[RELATED: Dolphins Draft QB Quinn Ewers At No. 231]
There was some initial speculation about Ewers’ fall down the draft board. His lack of ball protection (12 interceptions, 10 fumbles in 2024) was assumed to be the main culprit, but there were also scouts who criticized his lack of mobility and struggles under pressure.
His agent has since provided another reason. Ron Slavin said he reached out to a number of teams to understand why Ewers fell all the way to the seventh round. Many of those teams acknowledged that they rated the Longhorns quarterback higher than a seventh-round pick, but they were wary of the attention he’d draw as a backup.
“They thought he was a third- or fourth-round pick, but too big of a name to be a clipboard holder,” Slavin told ESPN’s Todd Archer. “Which I think is chickens—.”
In a draft where Shedeur Sanders also fell due to concerns about any impending distractions, it’s not a surprise that some pundits are starting to point fingers at the “NIL era.” That includes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, who believes endorsements and the accompanying attention will make “it awkward” for players (especially QBs) to suddenly sit on the bench.
Ironically, Ewers landed in a spot that could eventually lead to some QB controversy. Tua Tagovailoa has had his fair share of concussion and injury issues, putting Miami’s backups into the spotlight. After shuffling through a handful of names last season, the Dolphins landed on Zach Wilson as their QB2 for the 2025 campaign. If Tagovailoa went down, Wilson would surely get the first shot at the starting gig, but his spotty track record could open the door for Ewers.
For what it’s worth, the rookie QB isn’t letting his unexpected draft slide impact his perspective. While he admitted that he was surprised to fall to the seventh round, he was still relieved to hear his name called during draft weekend.
“I just didn’t know what was going on,” Ewers said. “But, I mean, it was nice [to get drafted], because at one point I’m like, ‘I’m not even going to get drafted. I’m going to go undrafted.’
“It was very unexpected, and I think that the toughest part about it is just the amount of unexpected occurrences there were. But I’m glad that I ended up where I ended up. To go as late as I did, I’m glad it’s a good spot.”
AFC Contract Details: Becton, Bolts, Texans, Jenkins, Browns, Bills, Patriots, Dolphins
Here are the latest details from contracts agreed to around the AFC:
- Mekhi Becton, OL (Chargers). Two years, $20MM. Despite raising his value with the Eagles, Becton only fetched $6.94MM guaranteed at signing, Cards Wire’s Howard Balzer tweets. The deal includes $3.06MM of per-game roster bonuses in 2025 and $2.55MM in ’26, with these protecting the Bolts after Becton missed 33 games from 2021-22. Becton is due a $2.5MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2026 league year, per OverTheCap.
- Christian Elliss, LB (Patriots). Two years, $13.51MM. The Pats are guaranteeing Elliss $7.75MM at signing, the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin tweets. This Raiders offer sheet includes guarantees into Year 2, with Volin adding $2.25MM of Elliss’ $7.38MM 2026 base salary is guaranteed at signing. Although Las Vegas designed this deal to give New England pause about matching, the team did so and has since released Ja’Whaun Bentley.
- Cam Robinson, T (Texans). One year, $12MM. The Texans are guaranteeing Robinson $10.75MM, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. Up to $1.25MM is available via per-game roster bonuses. Houston also included four void years, which would create a $7MM 2026 dead money bill if Robinson is not re-signed before the 2026 league year.
- Garrett Bradbury, C (Patriots). Two years, $9.5MM. Bradbury will see $3.8MM guaranteed at signing; $2.4MM of that comes via a signing bonus, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss tweets. Bradbury’s $3.7MM 2026 base salary is nonguaranteed, giving the Pats an out if the fit proves poor this year.
- Mario Edwards, DL (Texans). Two years, $9.5MM. The team is guaranteeing the nomadic D-lineman, $4.5MM, Wilson tweets. Edwards’ $4MM 2026 base salary is nonguaranteed.
- Reid Ferguson, LS (Bills). Four years, $6.5MM. Ferguson’s latest Bills contract sits second (to the Chiefs’ James Winchester) at the NFL’s lowest-paid position. The deal includes $2.37MM guaranteed at signing, which Wilson notes is comprised of a 2025 salary guarantee and a $1.1MM signing bonus.
- Zach Wilson, QB (Dolphins). One year, $6MM. The ex-Jets starter still secured a fully guaranteed deal as he attempts to reset after spending the 2024 season as the Broncos’ third-stringer. The Dolphins guaranteed Wilson $6MM, per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. Wilson only counts $2.2MM on Miami’s 2025 cap, per Jackson, as the team added four void years to keep that number low.
- Sheldon Rankins, DT (Texans). One year, $5.25MM. Coming after Rankins underwhelmed on a two-year, $24.5MM Bengals accord, the former first-round pick will see $4.5MM guaranteed, per Wilson. Playing-time incentives worth a total of $1.75MM are also included in Rankins’ second Texans contract.
- Teven Jenkins, G (Browns). One year, $3.1MM. The guard market dried up for Jenkins, whose free agency reminds of Dalton Risner‘s recent forays. The three-year Bears starter, who held a high asking price early on the market, settled for a deal including just $2.67MM guaranteed, Wilson adds. Cleveland included up to $340K in per-game roster bonuses.
- Ifeatu Melifonwu, S (Dolphins). One year, $3MM. The Dolphins are guaranteeing the ex-Lions defender $2.45MM, Wilson tweets. Another $1MM in incentives is present.
- Marcus Epps, S (Patriots). One year, $2.03MM. One of two 2024 Raiders starting defenders heading to New England (along with Robert Spillane), Epps received only $500K guaranteed, Reiss tweets. That includes $350K of Epps’ $1.17MM base salary, which does not make the former Super Bowl LVII starter a roster lock.
Dolphins To Sign QB Zach Wilson
The Broncos reached a pre-free agency deal to retain Jarrett Stidham, and Zach Wilson will relocate once again. The former Jets No. 2 overall pick is joining the Dolphins.
Miami is in agreement with Wilson on a one-year, $6MM deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The contract could reach $10MM. Wilson will return to the AFC East as a Tua Tagovailoa backup option.
Tagovailoa’s injury trouble has shined a spotlight on the Dolphins’ backup quarterbacks, as the team’s lack of production from this position sank a potential wild-card season. As Miami’s backup brigade struggled to find Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle (but not Jonnu Smith), Wilson may well be stepping into an important role. This comes after an effective mid-career redshirt, as the former Jets three-year starter became the Broncos’ third-stringer.
The Jets and Broncos agreed on a trade that split Wilson’s 2024 money, but he fell behind early in a competition for the starting job. Bo Nix distanced himself in that three-way competition, but Stidham beat out Wilson for the QB2 job. Wilson was not expected to stay in Denver, but he has secured a more important role for the ’25 season.
Wilson made 33 starts for the Jets, who benched him on three occasions between the 2022 and ’23 seasons. Although the Jets managed to fare better with Wilson at the controls than Aaron Rodgers, the latter certainly outplayed him. Wilson is a career 57% passer who carries a 23-25 TD-INT ratio to Miami. Averaging just 6.3 yards per pass for his career, the BYU alum does not bring stability to the Dolphins’ backup role.
Miami chose Skylar Thompson over Mike White as its 2024 backup, after White held the role in 2023 (when Tagovailoa stayed healthy). Thompson did not prove up to the job, leading to Tyler Huntley arriving and taking the reins last season, when Tua sustained a concussion and a separate injury. The Dolphins went 2-5 in the games Tua did not finish, and they will roll the dice with Wilson — barring a draft pick being added and quickly usurping the fifth-year vet — next season.
Broncos QB Jarrett Stidham Amenable To Denver Return; Team Unlikely To Retain QB Zach Wilson, RB Javonte Williams
Less than a year ago, the Broncos were said to be leaning toward opening the 2024 season with Jarrett Stidham – who was entering the second year of a two-year, $10MM deal – as their starting quarterback. The subsequent acquisition of Zach Wilson via trade may not have changed that plan, but the selection of Bo Nix in the first round of the 2024 draft certainly did.
Nix, of course, beat out both Stidham and Wilson for the QB1 job, and he piloted Denver to a 10-7 record and a postseason appearance. After his impressive rookie showing, the Broncos are no longer in need of a starting signal-caller, though the club will need to address the other QB spots on the depth chart since Stidham and Wilson are both out of contract.
Stidham, 28, is amenable to a Denver return, as Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette writes. While the free agent quarterback market will feature some high-profile names (Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, etc.), those players come with their share of question marks, and this year’s QB draft class is considered a weak one. As such, Stidham – who still sees himself as a starter-caliber player – could theoretically get a look elsewhere to compete for a QB1 role.
If such an opportunity does not materialize, however, the Broncos may be his best landing spot given his familiarity with the offense and relationship with Nix (who says the Patriots draftee has been a key part of his development). Unsurprisingly, Tomasson believes Wilson — who was not active for any games in 2024 — is unlikely to be retained.
The same goes for running back Javonte Williams. Although the free agent-to-be recently expressed his desire to remain with the Broncos, Tomasson says the 2021 second-rounder will probably not get his wish.
Williams’ performance as a rookie seemed to put him on track to operate as the lead running back for the Broncos over the long term, as his 2021 timeshare with Melvin Gordon appeared to be a temporary arrangement. Unfortunately, the ACL and LCL tears Williams suffered in 2022, which limited him to four games that season, altered his career trajectory.
While the North Carolina alum tallied a career-high 217 carries in 2023, he posted just 3.6 yards per carry, and his efficiency remained a problem in 2024 (3.7 YPC). He also shared the load with 2023 UDFA Jaleel McLaughlin and 2024 fifth-rounder Audric Estime, both of whom remain attached to rookie deals. Williams did offer much more production in the passing game than his younger counterparts (52 catches for 346 yards), but McLaughlin and Estime outperformed him in the running game in terms of per-carry average.
Per Tomasson, the Broncos will seek out a true RB1 in free agency or the draft.
Jets Notes: Johnson, Rodgers, Hackett
Thursday brought a strange revelation from Jets headquarters, bringing Madden into the strange role of roster determinations. Beyond the Jerry Jeudy near-trade quickly becoming one of the odder what-ifs in recent NFL history, the Jets may need to run through some other matters as they attempt to make quality GM and HC hires.
Some of the dysfunction reported does stem from Aaron Rodgers, who effectively kept Nathaniel Hackett employed as the team’s play-caller coming into the season. Before the Jets launched a stealth search for a coach who would cut into Hackett’s duties, The Athletic’s well-detailed Dianna Russini, Zack Rosenblatt and Michael Silver report indicates Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall expressed were not happy with the embattled OC throughout last season (subscription required). This may well have led to a meeting that helped the Rodgers-Woody Johnson relationship reach its present point.
Rumblings circulated that Johnson wanted to fire Hackett after the 2023 season, but Rodgers is believed to have stepped in to prevent that from happening. Rodgers has been close with Hackett since their Green Bay days, long stumping for the veteran OC. This included an offseason meeting with Johnson that “didn’t go over well” with the owner, per The Athletic. Rodgers had brought up this matter with Johnson. Months later, the owner attempted to have the QB benched.
Shortly after that benching effort, Johnson went around GM Joe Douglas and fired Robert Saleh. While Rodgers was accused of being complicit in that ouster, The Athletic notes the quarterback’s conversation with Johnson included a request the owner remain patient with the head coach. This also runs counter to Johnson’s claim the two did not discuss Saleh in that meeting. As could be expected, Rodgers had also told Saleh he disagreed with the then-HC’s decision to demote Hackett — a move interim HC Jeff Ulbrich ended up carrying out anyway.
Going back to Rodgers’ lost 2023 season, the Jets being mathematically eliminated in Week 14 had led Rodgers to cool down his crusade to return from his Achilles tear before season’s end and instead gear up for 2024. This involved continuing to rehab in Los Angeles, but The Athletic adds Johnson pushed the quarterback to come back to New York and return to practice. This prompted the Jets to use one of their injury activations on a player who did not end up playing again. Rodgers expressed disappointment he was activated as it cost fullback Nick Bawden a roster spot. Rodgers said during a Pat McAfee Show appearance the activation — which occurred in Week 16 — was not his idea.
Other strange quarterback incidents have occurred during Johnson’s recent years back from his role as ambassador to the United Kingdom. He is believed to have criticized then-starter Mike White in front of other players, following a Week 17 loss to the Seahawks in which White played through broken ribs. Allegedly saying, “You should throw your helmet; you f—– suck” in reference to White postgame, per Russini, Rosenblatt and Silver. Johnson later apologized to the QB once the owner’s comments eventually got back to him, per a Jets spokesperson. White left in free agency weeks later, leaving the Jets without veteran protection once Rodgers went down.
Postgame criticism from the Johnsons has not been isolated to quarterbacks, as The Athletic adds the owner’s teenage sons — Brick and Jack — were heard “loudly” criticizing multiple players after the Jets’ Week 17 loss to the Browns in 2023. In a separate matter related to access, Johnson also had members of his investment group at Jets draft and free agency meetings this year. These revelations, among others involving access to the team’s locker room, will not exactly endear the Jets to free agents.
Additionally, in a matter perhaps stranger than the Jeudy process, Johnson is believed to have told Douglas to keep the Jets’ Mr. Irrelevant draft choice (No. 257) and instead trade 256 to the Broncos. Denver had asked for No. 257 in the pick-swap trade for Zach Wilson, but the teams ended up finalizing a weeks-long negotiation in a trade that included No. 256 going from Denver to New York. This would be a rather shocking footnote for an eventful Jets year, as this report would have Johnson valuing Mr. Irrelevant-related publicity over a slightly better pick.
White and Wilson are long gone, while Rodgers is viewed as on his way out. But the 2024 Jets draft also included another quarterback, Jordan Travis, chosen in the fifth round. This will amount to a redshirt season for the Florida State alum, who has been on the reserve/NFI list throughout the season. Ulbrich said (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) the ankle injury that altered the Seminoles’ CFP hopes last year remains an issue, indicating Travis has suffered setbacks in his recovery this year.
Unlike Hendon Hooker last year, Travis does not appear set to move onto his team’s active roster before season’s end. This would mean Travis’ contract would toll, extending his rookie deal through 2028. Travis has bigger hurdles to navigate in the short term, however.
Johnson is viewed as likely to stay with the Jets following this season. The news of Donald Trump’s second presidential administration tabbing someone else (banker Warren Stevens) as the UK ambassador surprised Johnson, according to The Athletic. The owner will continue to play the lead role in hiring a coach and GM, doing so after brother Christopher Johnson hired Douglas and Saleh. Some hesitation from candidates certainly could be part of the fallout from recent events becoming public.