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Jets Owner Woody Johnson Eyeing $270 Million Purchase

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Jun 12, 2025 5:58 PM ET

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson has stayed out of the public eye in the aftermath of his team's failed Aaron Rodgers experiment and subsequent house-cleaning. But he's back in the news today eyeing a big money move.

According to ESPN's Mark Ogden, Johnson is in talks to spend $270 million to purchase a 43-percent stake in the English soccer team Crystal Palace F.C. Johnson has strong ties to England, having served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom during President Trump's first term. He would be buying the stake currently held by John Textor.

But Johnson is also a bit late to the party as far as being an American owner of an English soccer club goes. For starters, he'll be sharing ownership of Crystal Palace with two other NFL figures: Washington Commanders principal owner Josh Harris and Commanders minority owner David Blitzer.

Other NFL owners currently boasting stakes in the Premier League include Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan (Fulham), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Glazer family (Manchester United), the San Francisco 49ers' York family (Leeds United) and Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke (Arsenal).

BREAKING: John Textor has an offer to sell his Eagle Football Holdings stake in Crystal Palace from Woody Johnson, who owns the NFL franchise New York Jets pic.twitter.com/eJryYyueaR
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 12, 2025

As for Crystal Palace, to say that fans aren't taking the news well would be putting it very mildly. Under Johnson's watch, the Jets have not made the playoffs in 14 straight season - the longest stretch in American sports right now. Crystal Palace fans are not looking forward to that level of mismanagement hitting their club.

"Palace fans just had their biggest moment in history and now Woody Johnson is buying them? Pray for those supporters," Martino Puccio wrote.

"Before you know it he will be buying players based off FIFA ratings," another remarked.

"Palace will never win anything again if he buys them," a third wrote.

"Palace certain for relegation."

"Palace supporters don't deserve this. Woody Johnson will have them in League One in 4 years."

"Someone explain to Woody how relegation works in this football league and you might save Crystal Palace. Jets would have been relegated 10 times over if it existed in NFL."

Unfortunately for Crystal Palace fans, the move may be a necessary one to keep their club competitive. The team qualified to play in the UEFA Europa League next season, but UEFA rules prohibit teams that have owners of multiple teams from competing.

Textor is a major stakeholder in both Crystal Palace and France's Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon). Therefore, he has to sell his stake in at least one in order for either team to play.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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