Jets owner Johnson: 'We have to produce this year'
New York Jets owner Woody Johnson is tired of losing and expects improvement in 2024.
"This is it," Johnson said Thursday at NFL Honors, according to the New York Post's Brian Costello. "We have to produce this year."
The 76-year-old didn't provide a specific measure for what he views as success, but he expects better than the back-to-back 7-10 finishes the team had over the last two seasons.
"I'm not a playoff-mandate (guy), but we have to do a lot better than that," Johnson said, according to Costello.
The Jets haven't won the AFC East since the 2002 campaign and haven't made the postseason since 2010. Their last winning season was in 2015 when they went 10-6.
Robert Saleh owns an 18-33 record since he was named the club's head coach ahead of the 2021 campaign, and Johnson has apparently showcased his thinning patience to the 45-year-old and general manager Joe Douglas.
"The discussions we've had the last couple of months, they've seen me about as mad as I can be," Johnson said, per Costello.
Saleh's defense ranked third in yards allowed per game (292.3) and 12th in points allowed per game (20.9) last season. However, the offense finished 31st in yards (268.6) and 29th in points (15.8).
New York also committed more turnovers (33) than all but two teams in the league while starting signal-callers Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian, and Tim Boyle after Aaron Rodgers suffered an Achilles tear in Week 1.
Johnson aims to address the backup quarterback position this offseason after the trio struggled in relief of Rodgers.
"We need a backup quarterback," Johnson said Thursday, per Pro Football Network's Adam Beasley. "We didn't have one last year."
The Jets are reportedly expected to try to find a trade partner for Wilson, whom the club selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft.