New York Jets owner Woody Johnson denies claim he and head coach Robert Saleh had a 'heated argument' at league meetings in Orlando: 'It's yet another irresponsible report from NFL Network'

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson has denied NFL Network's reporting that he and head coach Robert Saleh had a heated discussion during the league meetings in Orlando earlier this week.

'All this nonsense about a heated argument between Coach Saleh and me at the League Meeting is absolutely false,' Johnson wrote on X. 'It is yet another irresponsible report from NFL Network. Please disregard.'

Host Colleen Wolfe made the claim during the Around the NFL podcast, saying the pair had a 'very heated conversation' on Monday.

'Maybe they were disagreeing on how they like their steak cooked,' Wolfe said. 'Doubt that though.'

Wolfe did walk back her initial claim, saying it wasn't an argument as much as it was a 'discussion.'

'A little awkward,' she said, relaying information from a source. 'A little awkward.

'A lively conversation they were having,' she said. 'So, what was that about?'

Interestingly, Johnson is technically a part owner of NFL Network, which is controlled by the league.

Until the NFL Network report, things had been going quietly for the Jets this offseason, much to Saleh's delight.

'I think [general manager] Joe [Douglas] has done a really nice job adding some really cool pieces to the football team, but, yeah, quiet,' Saleh told NFL Network's Steve Wyche at Sunday's league meetings in Orlando. 'Last year was a little loud. We welcome a little bit of quietness.'

For those who missed the Jets' offseason moves in 2023 – perhaps because they were at a darkness retreat or doing ayahuasca in Peru – Douglas pulled off a trade for four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers, thereby igniting Super Bowl expectations in New York and northern New Jersey. Exacerbating matters was the team's decision to take part in HBO's Hard Knocks - a training camp docuseries that only fueled expectations.

'You've got 15 million fans out there that are so excited that they can barely contain themselves,' Johnson told players in August, as captured by HBO cameras.

Those expectations were extinguished one series into the season when Rodgers suffered a ruptured Achilles, resulting in former No. 2 draft pick Zach Wilson being forced back into the lineup with disastrous results.

New York would stumble to a 7-10 finish amid widespread criticism of Douglas, Johnson, Wilson, Saleh and the team.

This year the Jets' additions are less flashy, but possibly just as important.

After the offensive line failed to protect Rodgers last year (or Wilson, for that matter), Douglas has added All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smit as well as veteran left guard John Simpson and right tackle Morgan Moses.

Another reason for optimism: The team's younger players were able to add experience due to a rash of injuries in 2023.

'All the young guys that were forced to play a year ago were really excited about the direction they're going,' Saleh said. 'But at the same time, to bring in some veteran presence, to bring in some leadership, to bring in guys who know how to play the game -- who have played the game at a very high level and who really have the capability of achieving and matching the standard which we're trying to create.

'You look at a guy like Morgan Moses who played on a torn pec last year,' Saleh continued. 'Just an old school soul in the sense that he just shows up to work, works his tail off, and a guy who's going to pull people with him.

'Tyron Smith has played at a very high level for a very long time, and John Simpson at guard, I mean, he's like the definition of strain. The way he works and kind of his story. He's kept battling to prove he belongs in this league. Excited about the mental makeup of the room. Obviously we've got some really good football players, but we've also really added to the mental makeup of that room.'

Saleh's preference for a quiet offseason is unsurprising, given a report by The Athletic in January that accused him of being obsessed with negative press.

A defensive coordinator in San Francisco before being hired by the Jets in 2021, Saleh's concerns about the offense were primarily limited to Wilson, who reportedly bristled at being reinserted into the starting lineup at the end of the season.

Fearful he'd be hurt behind an injury-depleted offensive line (spoiler: he suffered a concussion), Wilson's desire to remain off the field after being benched in December eventually leaked to the press, prompting Saleh to hunt for the source.

'If you come forward now, you won't get in trouble,' Saleh reportedly told the team while threatening to take their phones.

The source was never revealed, but Saleh's apparent media paranoia was only growing worse.

Fearful that he'd end up like Vic Fangio, a well-respected defensive coordinator who got the Broncos head-coaching job only to be done in by a lackluster offense, Saleh reportedly became obsessed with the team's coverage.

Often, The Athletic reported, Saleh would wonder why the New York Giants would receive better press than his team.

Exacerbating matters was the presence of Johnson, who not only read the local tabloids, but fan comments on social media as well, before relaying his own concerns to Saleh, according to the report.