It appears that Jets owner Woody Johnson will not be returning to England.
There had been speculation that Johnson might be appointed the Ambᴀssador to the United Kingdom again by President-elect Donald Trump.
Johnson served in that role during Trump’s first term as president. But Trump announced Monday that he is nominating investment banker Warren Stephens for the post.
This does not mean Johnson could not wind up as an Ambᴀssador to a different country or in a completely different role in the Trump administration, but the belief around the Jets and the NFL was that his most likely destination was a return to London.
The Jets are currently mired in a miserable 3-9 season and Johnson has come under increased scrutiny for his role in the franchise’s continued failures.
Johnson fired coach Robert Saleh in October and general manager Joe Douglas last month.
The Jets began their search for a new GM and coach last week. Johnson will lead the search but the Jets have hired The 33rd Team to ᴀssist him in identifying and vetting candidates for the jobs.
Former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum and former Vikings GM Rick Spielman are the lead members of the The 33rd Team working with the Jets.
Johnson served as the Ambᴀssador to the UK from 2017-21 under Trump.
During that time, his brother, Christopher Johnson, oversaw day-to-day operations with the Jets.
The expectation is that if Woody Johnson leaves in 2025, that Christopher would again be in charge.
There are many questions surrounding the future of the team starting with the new GM and coach but also about how the Jets will handle 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Even if Johnson gets an appointment by Trump, he should be around the Jets long enough to oversee the search for the new GM and coach as well as planning the offseason for the team.
In 2017, Johnson did not leave for England until the summer.
