If you’ve spent any time around MetLife Stadium lately, you know the vibe. It’s a mix of exhausted sighs and that weird, stubborn hope that only a New York Jets fan can truly understand.
Honestly, the 2025 season was a disaster. There is no other way to put it. A 3-14 record. A five-game losing streak to close out the year. Losses by 23 points or more becoming the norm. It felt like the same old story, just with different names on the back of the jerseys. But as we sit here in January 2026, things are actually shifting in a way that doesn't just feel like another coat of paint on a crumbling house.
The organization didn't just lose games last year; they tore the whole thing down. Trading away franchise cornerstones like Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams at the 2025 deadline was a "rip the Band-Aid off" moment that most teams are too scared to execute.
It was painful. It was loud. And it was exactly what needed to happen.
The Post-Aaron Rodgers Reality
Remember the hype when Aaron Rodgers first arrived? It feels like a lifetime ago. After that messy breakup and Rodgers' subsequent success with the Pittsburgh Steelers—leading them to an AFC North title while the Jets floundered—the "what ifs" could have buried this team.
Instead, the Jets are finally looking forward.
General Manager Darren Mougey and Head Coach Aaron Glenn are entering their second year with a mandate that is pretty simple: find the guy. The Justin Fields experiment didn't work. Let’s just be real about that. Fields struggled, got hurt, got benched, and now the team is staring at a massive $10 million guarantee for him in 2026 that makes moving on tricky but necessary.
The Jets finished 2025 with the lowest turnover margin since the merger. Four. That is it. You can't win in the NFL if you don't take the ball away, and you certainly can't win if your quarterbacks—whether it was Fields, Tyrod Taylor, or the rookie Brady Cook—are constantly playing from behind.
Why the 2026 NFL Draft Changes Everything
The Jets are currently sitting on a gold mine. Because of those deadline trades and a terrible record, they hold the No. 2 and No. 16 overall picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
They also have the first pick of the second round (No. 33) and an extra second-rounder from the Cowboys. This isn't just "draft capital." It's a complete roster overhaul in a single weekend.
The Quarterback Conundrum
With the No. 2 pick, the conversation starts and ends with the quarterback. While Fernando Mendoza (the 2025 Heisman winner) is likely headed to the Raiders at No. 1, the Jets are in a prime spot for Ty Simpson out of Alabama.
Simpson is exactly what the Jets need: a high-floor, efficient passer who doesn't turn the ball over. He threw only 5 interceptions in his entire college career. Compare that to the carousel of mistakes Jets fans have watched for the last decade. It's night and day.
Rebuilding the Trenches
You can't just drop a rookie QB into a vacuum. The 2025 season saw the Jets give up 60 sacks. That’s a recipe for a ruined career.
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Last year's first-rounder Olu Fashanu is the left tackle of the future, but the rest of the line is a revolving door. Having that 16th pick and the 33rd pick allows them to grab a guy like Armand Membou or a top-tier interior lineman to ensure whoever is taking snaps doesn't end up on IR by October.
The Salary Cap "Cheat Code"
Most teams coming off a 3-14 season are stuck with bad contracts and no way out. The Jets? They have roughly $111 million in cap space. That is the third-most in the league.
This is the "nuance" that national media often misses when they joke about the Jets. They aren't just bad; they are flexibly bad.
- Breece Hall is still a game-changer when healthy.
- Garrett Wilson is still a top-tier WR1 who just needs someone to actually throw him the ball.
- The defense, while gutted of its stars, has young pieces like Will McDonald IV and Jamien Sherwood who stood tall during a brutal 2025.
The plan for the New York Jets isn't to win the offseason by signing five aging veterans to "dream team" contracts. We’ve seen that movie. It ends in tears. The plan is to use that $111 million to overpay for high-quality, "boring" players—offensive guards, reliable safeties, and veteran backups who can mentor a rookie QB.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Jets
People think the Jets are "cursed." They aren't. They’ve just been poorly constructed.
For years, they tried to shortcut the process. They traded for Rodgers. They signed big-name free agents past their prime. They held onto players too long.
The 2025 trade deadline signaled the end of that era. By moving Sauce and Quinnen, they admitted that having two elite players doesn't matter if the other 20 starters aren't up to par. It was a 2K-style "rebuild" brought to real life. It was controversial, but if they hit on these two first-rounders in April, nobody will care about the players they sent away.
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Actionable Steps for the 2026 Offseason
If you’re following the New York Jets nfl team this spring, here is what you need to keep an eye on to see if the rebuild is actually on track:
1. The Free Agency "Quiet" Period
Watch the first 48 hours of free agency in March. If the Jets are chasing the biggest, flashiest names, be worried. If they are signing two or three solid, 27-year-old offensive linemen to four-year deals, celebrate. That is how you build a floor.
2. The Veteran Bridge QB
The Jets need to sign a veteran who is comfortable being a backup. Think of a Russell Wilson or a Geno Smith type—someone who can start Week 1 if the rookie isn't ready, but won't cause a locker room revolt when the switch happens.
3. Defensive Coordinator Hire
Aaron Glenn is a defensive guy, but he needs a "X's and O's" wizard to replace the production lost in the trades. Watch who they interview for the DC opening; it will tell you everything about their schematic future.
4. April 23, 2026
This is the day. No. 2 overall. If the Jets try to get cute and trade down, it might be a sign they aren't sold on the QBs. If they stay put and take their guy, the clock officially starts on the new era.
The New York Jets haven't made the playoffs in 15 years. That’s a generation of fans who have never seen "meaningful January football." But for the first time in a long time, the team has the picks, the money, and the leadership to actually stop the cycle.