The NFL prevailed in its grievance against the NFL Players Association, a decision that effectively blocks the union from releasing future player report cards. But a copy of the 26-page ruling from arbitrator Scott E. Buchheit obtained by Pro Football Talk still pulled back the curtain on past findings. And among the revelations: New York Jets‘ Woody Johnson was identified as the lowest-graded owner in the league.

“The Union said Players complained that ‘management responded to feedback [from prior Team Report Cards] by making conditions worse,’ including cutting the food budget and not retaining a long-time dietician after poor food grades the prior year,” NBC Sports wrote, quoting the report. “The Union also graded owner Woody Johnson an F — the lowest owner rating in the league, 5.58 out of 10 — which, according to Players, resulted from his perceived unwillingness to invest in facilities.

“Players cited ‘perceived top leadership issues, with some describing issues as “top-down problems”’—reflecting ownership concerns.”

This opinion from players is hardly surprising. Buchheit’s ruling included a full list of the player criticisms from the 2025 report cards. In the previous NFLPA report card released in February 2025, Johnson was graded an F by New York Jets players, ranking him dead last among NFL owners. The marks were blunt: a 5.58 out of 10 for perceived willingness to invest in facilities. It was the worst in the league.

Here’s what happened: In the wake of a frustrating 2024 campaign, the NFL Players Association unveiled its annual team report cards, and New York Jets players delivered a blunt verdict. Ownership, led by Woody Johnson, received an F grade, making the Jets the only franchise in the league to earn that distinction. The franchise reportedly responded to poor food-program grades in 2023 by actually reducing the team’s food budget.

The union also noted that the Jets chose not to keep their longtime dietitian, Nicolette Mense, the very staff member players had previously rated the highest. She later landed with the Kansas City Chiefs, where the team subsequently saw improvements in both its food program and dietitian grades.

“Unsurprisingly, when asked what needs the most improvement, Jets players overwhelmingly point to the food program, although they are complimentary of their new dietitian,” the NFLPA said in February 2025.

But things don’t end there.

Reports also suggest there was a widespread belief inside the locker room that Johnson does little to foster a positive team culture. And that helplessness is visible on the field.

Considered one of the worst teams in the NFL, the New York Jets have failed to reach the playoffs since their AFC Championship appearance in 2010. From that point forward, the franchise has experienced several losing seasons, with the recently concluded 2025-26 season being the tenth consecutive one with a negative record.

History confirms that Johnson made some questionable decisions as an owner

Over his 25 years in charge, Woody Johnson has presided over a stretch that chased away Hall of Fame minds like Bill Belichick and Bill Parcells. He pushed out fan-favorite coach Rex Ryan, and cycled through wave after wave of coaches and general managers who somehow kept resetting expectations lower. Every bit of it has unfolded on Johnson’s watch.

In fact, in December 2024, The Athletic sounded the alarm on him. The outlet reported that yet another offseason of upheaval was looming for the New York Jets, and that many around the organization believe the instability started at the very top. In conversations with more than 20 current and former players, coaches, and team executives (anonymous), Johnson was repeatedly described as an over-involved and impulsive owner. They felt his presence was central to the franchise’s ongoing dysfunction.

“They keep on doing the same thing over and over: they change the football people. The football people are not the issue,” one former executive said back then. “It’s, ‘Hey, I have brain cancer.’ And, ‘Well, just cut off your foot.'”

He may have led to locker room issues, too. NFL locker rooms are typically tightly controlled environments, reserved for players, coaches, team employees, and credentialed media. However, sources said that Johnson’s kids, Brick and Jack, have brought friends, both male and female, into the locker room. Current and former players and coaches also told The Athletic that Woody Johnson, his wife Suzanne Ircha Johnson, and their sons have, at times, openly criticized players inside that space.

So, PFT’s recent revelations about the ownership aren’t completely surprising.