“It Is Impossible to Overcome Dysfunctional Ownership”: Alex Smith Lashes Out at Woody Johnson for Criticizing His QB

Going into Week 8 of the 2025 season, the New York Jets’ playoff hopes (let’s be honest here) are already out of the picture. So, nothing really changes for the team with the longest postseason drought in the league. They currently sit at 0-7 and will take on the Bengals on the road this Sunday. Not looking good.

And as if the Big Apple couldn’t get any sourer, Jets owner Woody Johnson made some explosive headlines off the field, throwing unsolicited blame at his QB, Justin Fields, for this brutal skid. “It’s hard when you have a quarterback with a rating that he’s got. I mean, he has ability, but something just is not jiving,” said the 78-year-old owner.

He also said, “If we can just complete a pass, it would look good.” That’s quite an unhinged comment from an owner with the least amount of success on a team that has seen six full-time Jets head coaches fired during his tenure (from 2000). He even let Robert Saleh go in the middle of last season.

Unsurprisingly, many analysts, including Alex Smith, didn’t find the owner’s comments reasonable. On an episode, Smith went on to blast Johnson just as brutally.

“It is impossible to overcome dysfunctional ownership. This is the definition, Woody Johnson. How many head coaches and quarterbacks has this guy mowed through… Maybe the problem is you, Woody. Maybe you look in the mirror. You have the longest playoff drought in all of the NFL,” Smith said, adding,

“It starts at the top, and it trickles down. This is cowardly. This is an owner that’s deflecting because his organization is terrible, and he drove the bus over a 26-year-old quarterback. Right over the back of him. I don’t think Justin Fields has played great at all this season, but you’re telling me his the only problem? You don’t have a win. It’s everywhere.”

“Maybe the problem is you, Woody. Maybe you look in the mirror. You have the longest playoff drought in all of the NFL. It starts at the top, and it trickles down. This is cowardly.” – Alex Smith unloads on Woody Johnson for criticizing Justin Fields. pic.twitter.com/gXquos5KYv

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 26, 2025

Smith is spot on here. The Jets are struggling across the board, not just at QB. Before we pin it all on Justin Fields, we also have to factor in a struggling offensive line, a shaky running game, limited receiving talent, and overly predictable play-calling.

Heading into the Cincinnati game, New York’s defense, too, has been abysmal. They rank 16th in total yards allowed and 26th in points per game. They’ve also struggled with turnovers and are tied for 26th in the league in sacks. At the end of the day, the Jets have become predictable in every way, both on and off the field. Bad on and off. It’s hard to see how it could get any worse.