You won’t believe this, but an NFL owner uses Madden ratings to decide who stays and who goes on his team! Like, can you imagine? It’s like getting your football tips from a video game instead of actual stats or scouting reports. According to a wild report from The Athletic, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson has been vetoing trades and questioning signings based solely on how players are rated in Madden NFL. Talk about living in the digital age!
In one head-scratching instance, Johnson turned down a trade for former Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy because his Madden rating “wasn’t high enough.” Can we pause for a second? Jeudy then got shipped off to the Cleveland Browns, where he crushed it with over 1,000 receiving yards and four touchdowns in his first season. Oof, that’s gotta sting.
It doesn’t stop there. Johnson had serious doubts about signing guard John Simpson because he didn’t like Simpson’s awareness rating in the game. I mean, come on! Luckily for the Jets fans (and maybe even Johnson), General Manager Joe Douglas signed him anyway. Guess what? Simpson’s been lighting up the field this season! Who knew ignoring virtual metrics could lead to real-life wins?
So why is he turning to Madden for decisions? It all started when his sons Jack and Brick attended meetings more often. An anonymous Jets executive spilled the tea: “When we’re discussing things, you’ll hear Woody cite something that Brick or Jack read online that’s being weighed equally against whatever opinion someone else in the department has.” Wow! Family bonding over football stats, or is it gaming stats?
Of course, a spokesperson for the Jets denied these claims. Surprise surprise! But honestly, what do you think about an NFL owner relying on Madden ratings to shape his roster?
