If you’ve ever turned on your PS5 or Xbox Series X, booted up some Madden and played the Franchise Mode, well you’re not so different from a real NFL owner.
New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, apparently a gamer, reportedly made some big decisions in the off-season based on Madden ratings, declining to trade for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy because his stats in the game weren’t high enough, The Athletic‘s Dianna Russini reported Thursday.
According to the report, the Jets and Broncos were deep into trade negotiations to send Jeudy to New York, but the deal got axed at the last minute because of the video game ratings.
Jeudy, 25, wound up with the Cleveland Browns instead and logged the first 1,000-yard receiving season of his five-year career. His highest mark previously was 972 yards on 67 receptions in the 2022 season with the Denver Broncos.
The former Alabama receiver might not have been the most used player in Madden 24, but his 83 overall rating still came in as the third-best player overall on the Broncos in last year’s edition of the video game. In case you were wondering, he is still an 83 in Madden 25, which would be third for wide receivers had he been traded to the Jets, behind Davante Adams at 90 and Garrett Wilson at 86.
How Johnson became so acclimated to the game is only up for speculation, but the owner has two teenage sons who, according to The Athletic, have influenced the owner’s decision-making and provide team-building advice to their father.
Furthermore, the report cites that this isn’t the first time Johnson has referenced the popular video game’s ratings when evaluating players.
The Madden team-building formula unfortunately hasn’t worked out too well for Johnson, leaving many gamer-to-owner hopefuls disappointed. The Jets are currently 4-10, good for third in the AFC East, and have been eliminated from playoff contention. Extending their post-season drought to 14 seasons, the longest active streak in the NFL.
Beyond just the lack of success on the field (and on the screen), the Jets have had a tumultuous year as a whole. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who signed a three-year, $112.5 million contract ahead of the 2023 season, has looked his age, throwing for 3,255 yards with 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions while logging a 53.9 QB rating, the 21-best in the NFL. Moreover, they fired head coach Robert Saleh on Oct. 8, with the team sporting a 2-3 record. Since then, under interim coach Jeff Ulrich, they’ve gone 2-7.