The New York Jets have had a rough 2024. After some tough losses, including a messy 10-9 defeat to the Denver Broncos, the team fired General Manager Joe Douglas and Head Coach Robert Saleh.
Now, more details about what went on behind the scenes are coming out, and one of the most interesting stories is about a trade that never happened.
The Jets were reportedly in talks to trade for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy from the Broncos, but the deal was blocked by none other than Jets owner Woody Johnson.
Here’s a look at what went down, why the trade fell apart, and whether it was a blessing in disguise for both teams.
According to a report from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Jets were in talks to send wide receiver Allen Lazard and a Day 2 draft pick (likely a second or third-rounder) to the Broncos in exchange for Jeudy.
It was a deal that could’ve brought a young, talented receiver to the Jets’ offense.
But instead of letting the trade go through, Woody Johnson stepped in and nixed it.
Jets were set to trade for Jeudy in the off-season and Johnson nixed it. Also Woody makes FA signing based on twitter. I love it pic.twitter.com/6hb3Lybvi0
— Clevta (@Clevta) November 20, 2024
His frustration with the Jets’ 10-9 loss to the Broncos in Week 4 reportedly pushed him to interfere with football decisions.
Instead of heading to New York, Jeudy was traded to the Cleveland Browns for a much less exciting return: a 2024 fifth-round pick and a sixth-round pick.
At first, this seems like the Jets lost out.
After all, Jeudy is a talented receiver with plenty of potential.
But before anyone gets too upset about missing out on him, it’s important to consider what kind of player Jeudy really is.
Sure, he has the skills, but he’s been incredibly inconsistent throughout his career.
Despite being drafted in 2020, Jeudy has never had a 1,000-yard season, and injuries have kept him off the field more than anyone would like.
Even after being traded to the Browns, Jeudy has struggled to live up to his big contract.
He signed a three-year deal worth $52.5 million with $41 million guaranteed, but this season, he only has 39 receptions — which is only 43rd among all NFL wide receivers.
To make matters worse, Jeudy has never played a full season in the NFL.
When you look at it that way, maybe the Jets dodged a bullet by not completing the trade.
Sure, Jeudy could have been a nice addition, but it’s hard to say how much he would have really helped.
The Jets had plenty of other issues, and bringing in a player with Jeudy’s track record might have been more trouble than it was worth.
The real issue here is the Jets’ ownership meddling in football decisions.
In a well-run franchise, ownership typically lets the GM and coaches make the calls about players, but Johnson’s decision to block the trade shows that the Jets’ leadership structure is a mess.
Johnson’s interference not only derailed the trade, but it also signals a lack of trust in Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh.
It’s one thing to give feedback as an owner, but it’s another to step in and prevent a move that had already been put into motion.
Speaking of Lazard, the receiver the Jets were trying to trade, his first season in New York hasn’t gone as planned.
Lazard was brought in partly because of his history with Aaron Rodgers, but Rodgers’ injury changed everything.
Lazard’s numbers have been solid but not spectacular, and without Rodgers throwing him the ball, his value has taken a hit.
The Jets counted on Lazard to step up, but without Rodgers’ support, his performance has fallen short of what the Jets had hoped for.
Looking to the future, the Jets’ wide receiver situation is a big question mark.
If Rodgers doesn’t return, the team will be left with many unproven players behind Garrett Wilson.
Lazard, if he stays, hasn’t shown enough without Rodgers to be the team’s No. 2 option.
And with other players like Malachi Corley still unproven, the Jets might have to make big changes to their receiving corps in the near future.
If Lazard leaves, or if the Jets decide to part ways with Davante Adams, they could be left with only a few dependable options.
It’s hard to feel good about that heading into the 2025 season.
Meanwhile, the Broncos also have their own problems to sort out.
While trading Jeudy might not have worked out for them, they weren’t exactly thrilled with his performance either.
The Broncos had been looking at Lazard before the Jets made their offer, so it’s clear they were hoping to add him to their roster.
Lazard, at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, would’ve been a good fit in head coach Sean Payton’s offense, which values strong, versatile receivers who can do a bit of everything.
But since the trade didn’t happen, the Broncos had to settle for the draft picks they got from Cleveland, which weren’t nearly as valuable as what the Jets were offering.
In the end, both teams are left with plenty of questions about their future.
For the Jets, they’ll need to figure out what to do with their receiver group and whether they can find a quarterback to lead the offense.
If Rodgers doesn’t return, that could mean a full rebuild at the position.
For the Broncos, it’s clear that Jeudy’s time in Denver is over, and they’ll need to keep looking for the right pieces to build around their promising quarterback, Bo Nix.
Looking back, it’s hard to say if the Jets would’ve been better off with Jeudy.
On one hand, he has the potential to be great, but on the other, his inconsistency and injury history made him a risky choice.
By not pulling the trigger on the trade, the Jets avoided overcommitting to a player who might not have fit into their long-term plans.
While both teams missed out on what could’ve been a valuable trade, it’s possible that in the long run, both the Jets and Broncos came out ahead in this situation.
The failed Jeudy trade might have been a blessing in disguise for New York, giving them more time to focus on the bigger issues at hand.