Alex Smith blasts Jets owner Woody Johnson as ‘cowardly’ during incredible ESPN rant

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson made headlines earlier this week when he criticized quarterback Justin Fields. With the Jets off to an 0-7 start, the owner pointed to a lack of production at the quarterback position as a main reason behind the team’s start.

Fields did not back down this week when asked about the comments from the Jets owner:

“I don’t think me talking to him is going to do anything,” Fields said Wednesday after practice. “It’s not going to make me play better. It’s not going to give me more confidence on the field, so I don’t think there’s necessarily a point in talking about that, and I doubt he’ll come and talk to me.”

Now, a fellow member of the quarterback fraternity is backing up Fields.

Addressing the situation on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown, former quarterback Alex Smith blasted Johnson’s tenure as owner and called his lack of accountability “cowardly” in a lengthy diatribe.

“This is absurd,” began Smith.

”You’re true. It’s rock bottom, but it’s rock bottom because of [Johnson], right?

”Listen. It is impossible to overcome dysfunctional ownership, and this is the definition of it. Woody Johnson.

“Listen, I lived it, trust me, I know. How many head coaches and quarterbacks has this guy mowed through, right? How many of them? And he drove the bus over this kid right here.”

Smith then pivoted to some of the recent departures, highlighting how former Jets quarterbacks and coaches are having success this year, away from New York.

”Oh, Sam Darnold, he looks pretty good right now. Robert Saleh, coaching his butt off in San Francisco. Weird. Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers [is]winning a lot of games all of a sudden, right?

“Hey, maybe the problem is you, Woody, right? Maybe we look in the mirror,” added Smith. “You have the longest playoff drought in all of the NFL, and sports.”

It has been 14 seasons since the Jets last reached the playoffs, the longest drought in the NFL. That ties the Jets with the Buffalo Sabres for the longest playoff drought across the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, and MLS.

“Listen, it starts at the top and it trickles down, and this is, this is cowardly,” continued Smith. “This is an owner that’s deflecting because his organization is terrible, and he drove the bus over a 26-year-old quarterback, right, right over the back of him.

“I don’t think Justin Fields has played great at all this season. You’re telling me he’s the only problem? You don’t have a win. It’s everywhere. The head coach is the problem. The coordinators are the problem. This entire roster is the problem,” said Smith.

The former QB concluded his thoughts by reminding everyone -- perhaps even Johnson -- that Fields will be under center today.

”By the way, he’s wearing the jersey today. He is the starting quarterback for your football team, your jersey.

”How are you going to look this kid in the eyes in the locker room?”

You can see Smith’s full analysis here:

Smith’s point about the list of Jets coaches and quarterbacks under Johnson’s ownership might be the strongest the former QB outlined in his 90-second statement. Johnson took over ownership of the Jets in January 2000. Since then, the Jets have gone through nine head coaches, whether permanent or interim, starting with Al Groh for that initial season leading up to Aaron Glenn this year.

When it comes to quarterbacks, Johnson’s tenure has seen these quarterbacks all start games for New York:

The Jets are 173-238 since Johnson took over as owner.