Woody Johnson named ambassador to UK, may give up control of Jets

President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday revealed that New York Jets owner Woody Johnson has been named the United States ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Johnson, who has a close relationship with Trump and served as vice president of the soon-to-be president’s victory campaign, has been considered the favorite for the position since Trump was elected. It is common for incoming presidents to give ambassador titles to big financial backers.

Johnson has owned the Jets since 2000. He has never held a position in government, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported earlier this month that Johnson is expected to hand day-to-day control of the Jets over to his brother Chris if Trump named him to an ambassador position.

That likely means Johnson will step away from the Jets for the time being, at least publicly. His relationship with a certain aging star player or two will likely still be considered when the team is making roster decisions, but suddenly “Jets owner” does not sound like the most important thing on Johnson’s priority list. Fans of the team can only hope that somehow results in a better season in 2017.