The winless New York Jets are planning a quarterback change, and owner Woody Johnson made sure everyone knows exactly how he feels about it. Speaking to reporters Tuesday at the NFL fall meeting in New York, Johnson delivered stinging criticism of incumbent Justin Fields while claiming the decision is “completely up to” coach Aaron Glenn, who is moving toward naming Tyrod Taylor the new starter according to sources.

Johnson left absolutely no doubt about his view on the matter despite trying to maintain the fiction that Glenn controls this decision. He praised Glenn for turning around parts of the team but couldn’t help adding that it’s hard when you have a quarterback with Fields’ rating. Fields has ability, Johnson acknowledged, but something just isn’t jiving. The Jets need consistent play at that position for the remainder of the season.

Johnson’s “complete a pass” comment said everything

Johnson noted improvements on defense and special teams provide hope for a turnaround, then delivered the line that will haunt Fields forever: “If we can just complete a pass, it would look good.” That’s not subtle criticism—that’s an owner publicly eviscerating his starting quarterback while simultaneously claiming his coach makes personnel decisions independently.

The Jets gave Fields a two-year, $40 million contract including $30 million in guarantees. The plan was giving him a full season to prove he could be their long-term answer. After an 0-7 start, the Jets apparently have seen enough. Glenn, who benched Fields at halftime Sunday, is expected announcing his decision Wednesday before facing Cincinnati on Sunday.

Johnson summarized the offensive struggles perfectly: the offense isn’t clicking, and you can’t run the ball if you can’t pass the ball. That’s football 101, he said, which is basically calling Fields incompetent at the most fundamental aspect of quarterbacking.

The numbers tell a brutal story

In six starts, Fields posted a career-low 32.1 Total QBR, ranking 31st out of 33 qualified passers. He played one of his best games against Pittsburgh in Week 1, but his performance regressed dramatically in recent weeks. The Jets have scored only seven touchdowns in the past six games—none in the first half. That’s historically bad offensive production that makes Johnson’s frustration understandable even if his public criticism crosses lines most owners avoid.

Fields completed just 6 of 12 passes for 46 yards in the first half Sunday before Glenn pulled him with the Jets trailing 10-3. The minus-10 net passing yards against Denver in Week 6 should’ve been the final straw, but Glenn remained steadfast in his support until Sunday’s benching finally cracked that confidence.

Johnson has no regrets about releasing Rodgers

In his first interview since March, Johnson said he has zero regrets about releasing Aaron Rodgers, who has led the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 4-2 start. Johnson never looks back, claiming you have to look forward in football. Even when you cut players who could be Hall of Famers, you just never know. But Rodgers is playing great now in a situation that works for him, Johnson admitted with what had to be at least slight envy.

Johnson said he still has total confidence in Glenn, the first coach in franchise history starting his tenure with this many losses. He hugs Glenn every day, giving him encouragement. Johnson believes in Glenn because he’s known him since 1996 when Johnson was just a fan. Glenn handles the room authentically without any nonsense or hidden agendas, giving players truth instead of what Johnson calls “gobbledygook.”

Taylor gets another chance at 36

This is familiar territory for Tyrod Taylor, 36, who has a 28-29-1 record as a starter. He started Week 3 for the Jets when Fields was sidelined with a concussion. In seven-plus quarters of action, Taylor is 43-of-69 for 379 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. He threw two interceptions in the second half Sunday after replacing Fields, so it’s not like Taylor looked spectacular either.

But at this point, the Jets are desperate for anything resembling competent quarterback play. Fields’ failure has been so complete that even a 36-year-old journeyman backup looks like an upgrade. Johnson’s public criticism guaranteed Fields won’t get another chance in New York regardless of what happens with Taylor.