Is it barely possible that New York Jets owner Woody Johnson did indeed nix a transaction to bring in wide receiver Jerry Jeudy because Jeudy didn’t have a high-enough rating on the latest “Madden” video game?
According to a report in The Athletic this week, that happened.
The report, with a byline of “Athletic staff,” states that in the offseason, the Jets were looking for a receiver to couple with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and that then-General Manager Joe Douglas was talking with Denver GM George Paton, advanced talks that were almost completed.
At that point, allegedly Johnson stepped in and halted the deal, supposedly because he didn’t feel Jeudy’s rating on the Madden game was very high. In the same report: Johnson didn’t want to sign offensive lineman John Simpson as a free agent, because he had a low “awareness” rating in the game.
Eventually, Jeudy did leave Denver – the former Alabama receiver was traded to Cleveland. By the way, he has 70 catches for 1,052 yards and four touchdowns this season.
It should also be noted that Douglas was dismissed from the franchise a few weeks ago – who knows that Johnson really said this? Perhaps he did, and his mind works that way regarding football. Or maybe he was just joking around.
You’ll need a subscription, but if you’d like to read the article on The Athletic, here it is: Woody Johnson’s Jets: ‘Madden’ ratings, a lost season and ‘the most dysfunctional place imaginable’ – The Athletic.
