Report: Woody Johnson killed Jerry Jeudy trade because of his Madden rating

Dysfunctional teams actually do dysfunctional things.

The latest evidence of dysfunction in the New York Jets comes from TheAthletic.com. Among various juicy nuggets contained in the #longread is a claim that owner Woody Johnson nixed a trade with the Broncos for receiver Jerry Jeudy because Johnson thought Jeudy’s Madden rating was too low.

According to the report, it wasn’t the only time Johnson cited Madden ratings in football decisions. Johnson reportedly pushed back on signing guard John Simpson because his “awareness” rating on Madden was too low. (Maybe even lower than Woody’s.)

The Madden factor apparently comes from Woody’s teenage sons, Brick and Jack.

“When we discuss things, you’ll hear Woody quote something that Brick or Jack read online, which is weighed equally against any opinion that someone else in the department has,” an unnamed Jets executive told TheAthletic.com.

The Jets actually provided a statement to TheAthletic.com acknowledging the teenagers’ involvement and defending it.

“It is used as a reference point; it’s not conclusive,” a Jets spokesman said of Brick and Jack’s input. “It’s really sad that an adult would use a misleading anecdote about teenagers to make their father look bad. The idea that this was used to influence the opinion of experienced managers is frankly ridiculous. . . . (The sons) have no roles in the organization. It is completely ridiculous to suggest that any outside information is intended to supersede the opinions of (Woody Johnson’s) staff.”

They may not have an official role, but let’s face it. Eventually they will. And one of them will likely inherit the team unless Woody sells it.

And while there’s no official role right now, Brick handed out a game ball after a rare win.

“It was the most awkward, cringe-worthy, brutal experience,” an unnamed player told TheAthletic.com.

It feels like the Jets under Woody Johnson are constantly prompting that reaction.