Dear Mr. Johnson,

We are lifelong, diehard New York Jets fans. We’ve been there through every heartbreak and rare high point. From Shea Stadium in Queens, NY to Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ and now MetLife Stadium built on the same site. For the last 43 years, Jets fans have called New Jersey “home,” but it’s time to return to New York; our roots, where the team belongs. Through all of it, our loyalty has never wavered. Jets fans deserve a stadium in New York; a place that feels like ours, has character, and gives us the home-field advantage we’ve never truly had.

For far too long, the Jets have been treated as the “little brother” of New York football, always overshadowed by the Giants. Meanwhile, Bills fans (whose team actually plays in New York) are obnoxiously claiming they’re the only “real” New York team. It makes matters worse that they are opening a brand new, state-of-the-art stadium next year, giving their claims even more credibility. 

If a stadium is built in New York, leaving the Giants back in New Jersey, future generations will know the truth: the Jets are the real team of New York. If a stadium doesn’t happen, the name should at least reflect reality: the New Jersey Jets. But that’s not what we want and that’s not who we are. We are the NEW YORK Jets, and we deserve a true home in New York; a fresh start, a clean slate and momentum to match the bright future on the field.

The Jets are the only franchise in NFL history that has never fully owned their stadium outright. We have never had a true home-field advantage, which, when you think about it for a New York team in this market, is absolutely mind boggling . This needs to change. A new stadium now would give the team the cathedral it has always deserved and fans the experience they’ve long waited for.

Since you bought the team in 2000, the Jets’ home record has been 98–109, and since moving into MetLife in 2010 it’s 56–72. Home-field advantage for the Jets is practically nonexistent. 

 I was there for Week 1 this season and with a new regime, you’d expect the stadium to be alive with Jets green and energy. Instead, far too many Steelers fans filled the seats, making it feel like anything but a home game.  I understand their fans travel well, but what we saw was disheartening as thousands of yellow terrible towels waved in the air. The game might as well been played in Pittsburgh but It also happens when most teams come to play at MetLife.  

This is an incredibly exciting time for the franchise. With the possibility of drafting our franchise quarterback in April and with our picks in future drafts, the team has a real chance to dig out of the decades-long hole. Other teams are investing in their futures: the Bills, Titans, Chiefs, Browns, Jaguars, and Bears are all modernizing, yet Jets fans continue to remain loyal in a stadium that doesn’t reflect our identity. A new stadium isn’t just an upgrade, it’s a monumental advantage, a rallying point, and a statement that the Jets belong in and are New York’s football team.

We recognize the efforts made to bring a stadium to the Upper West Side in 2005, and now there is an opportunity to make this vision a reality. I believe there was a great opportunity with the new soccer stadium near Citi Field and with your recent acquisition of an overseas soccer team. A stadium on that site for the Jets could have doubled as a soccer venue and hosted exhibitions for your team along with NYFC home games. Unfortunately, they already broke ground at that location but there are other options.  

 We can already picture it,  the Jet silhouette line running across the top, shining green in the dark of the New York night; a beacon for fans and a symbol of New York football pride.

We are starting a petition now, and we guarantee thousands of Jets fans will sign it. Once seen, it will be clear that Jets fans aren’t simply asking, we are begging for a stadium that reflects the team’s history, identity, passion and future. This isn’t just about a building, it’s about pride, loyalty, and finally giving Jets fans the home they deserve.

Imagine an AFC Championship game in January, snow flurries falling, players’ breath visible in the crisp winter air, and the roar of 75,000 Jets fans echoing as the team pushes toward a Super Bowl appearance . The crowd chants “J-E-T-S! Jets! Jets! Jets!” so loud it will shake the stadium and echo across all five boroughs, leaving no doubt in anyone’s mind that the Jets are the heartbeat of New York football. This is the legacy the Johnson family can cement, with future generations carrying forward a franchise reborn; a team and stadium that define New York football for decades to come.

If there’s anything you need from us fans to make this happen, I’m confident the vast majority of diehard Jets fans who’ve been yearning for our own stadium would participate and support in any way possible. I don’t want to sound naïve like you can just snap your fingers and a new stadium instantly appears. We know how hard this is. But you’ve been down this road before, and you were close. You know what it takes. 

It’s been 20 years since that first attempt, and now there’s a new opportunity. You have our full support. 

On behalf of all true NEW YORK JETS fans