Jets Owner Woody Johnson Scores a Victory

Woody Johnson, the owner of the Jets, has taken the lead among NFL owners in challenging the Players Association’s “Team Report Card,” which spans across 11 categories and has raised concerns regarding the methods of information collection and scoring used over the past few seasons.

On Friday, an independent arbitrator ruled that the report card was in violation of the collective bargaining agreement. This decision allows for an injunction that will halt any future releases of the report card, as noted in a memo shared with all 32 teams.

Last season, Johnson was the only owner to receive an “F” grade, placing the Jets at 29th out of 32 in overall standings. However, the context around this rating seems to be shifting. An NFLPA attorney admitted in a memo that the union had selectively chosen which topics and responses were included in the report.

• “I was quite particular about which subjects and answers made it into my report card,” the attorney stated.
• Additionally, staff drafted summaries, with “players not involved in writing any comments for report cards.” In one instance, the Jets’ 2025 report card indicated, “Instead of addressing player concerns, management allegedly aggravated those conditions following the feedback from 2024.”
• It was also noted that “we chose which anonymous player quotes to feature (or omit) to align with our narrative.” They determined how much weight to assign each topic and how that affected the final grade.

The Jets scored poorly in only one another area—locker room conditions—which, interestingly, were entirely renovated prior to the past season and received rave reviews from players.

Johnson had already been requesting improvements to the locker room before the report cards came out.

The memo indicated, “It has become clear that the report cards were crafted by the union to promote its agenda under the guise of a scientific process.” It highlighted various limitations in how the Team Report Card results were gathered and their accuracy.

According to the NFLPA, around 77% of its members participated in the survey conducted from late August to late November of 2024.

Interestingly, Prime Minister Boris Johnson labeled the results “completely bogus” last March, leaving many wondering why.

Johnson expressed concerns about how the information was gathered, emphasizing the need for a fair process representing both players and owners. “In my view, this was a violation,” he said. “Many owners reviewed the survey and felt it wasn’t fair, balanced, or representative of all players.”

And indeed, the arbitrator appeared to agree with that sentiment.

One aspect of the survey, however, remains intact: players are still able to share their views on how adequate the medical care provided is.

The NFL’s Governing Council and the NFLPA are set to continue planning and conducting similar investigations.

The league also encouraged teams to seek direct input from players to identify areas for improvement in facilities, staff, and services for a better overall experience. Yet, there’s a concern that players may hesitate to speak freely without anonymity.

An NFL spokesperson expressed satisfaction with the arbitrator’s ruling, emphasizing the commitment to uphold the collective bargaining agreement and ensuring that clubs or individuals are not unfairly criticized through reports lacking transparency. “We are dedicated to developing accurate surveys collaboratively with the NFLPA and independent researchers to gain reliable player feedback,” the spokesperson noted.