It would be fair to call the Jets’ 2025 season an unmitigated disaster. In Year 1 of the Darren Mougey–Aaron Glenn regime, Gang Green went 3-14 and finished in a four-way tie for the NFL’s worst record. While extending their league-high playoff drought to 15 years, the Jets surrendered 203 more points than they scored.
In addition to an NFL-worst point differential, the Jets ranked last in passing offense, 31st in scoring defense and sacks, and bottom five in total offense and points. Not to be forgotten, New York forced the fewest turnovers in the sport (four) and somehow went the entire season without an interception. It’s all the more damning that it happened under Glenn, a longtime ball-hawking defensive back (mostly with the Jets) before he went into coaching.
Despite last year’s embarrassing on-field display, Jets owner Woody Johnson unsurprisingly kept Mougey and Glenn around for a second season in 2026. Johnson knows the team is in the throes of a massive rebuild. Canning either or both key members of the team’s leadership group after one year would have been unreasonable.
However, as we covered in our Jets Offseason Outlook in early March, a large portion of Glenn’s coaching staff was not given the same grace. Most notably, a little over a month after the mid-December firing of defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, the Jets let go of offensive counterpart Tanner Engstrand in late January. First-time coordinator Brian Duker replaced Wilks, but Glenn — the Lions’ DC before the Jets hired him — is going to call plays.
With Glenn’s expertise residing on the defensive side of the ball, he hired the grizzled Frank Reich as his O-coordinator. Glenn wanted a “head coach of the offense.” He found one in Reich, a two-time NFL head coach who became a three-time OC when he succeeded Engstrand. Glenn and Reich, a longtime backup quarterback, reunited 30 years after a one-season stint as Jets teammates in 1996.
After Glenn settled on his second-year staff, he and Mougey went into the heart of the offseason with a lot of roster needs to address, a lot of money to spend and a lot of draft capital. To the Jets’ credit, they took advantage of their resources. They upgraded their talent, built a bigger, more physical team that should be harder to play against, and added leadership and experience to a young roster.
Trades:
Thirteen years ago, after a prolific run at West Virginia, Smith joined the Jets as a 2013 second-round choice. Smith was second off the board in a weak class of signal-callers led by EJ Manuel, whom the AFC East rival Bills took 16th overall out of desperation. The Jets reeled in Smith at No. 39, but his first stint with the organization fell flat. He performed poorly as a starter over his first two years, suffered a broken jaw when teammate IK Enemkpali punched him in the face weeks before the 2015 campaign began, and tore his ACL in 2016.
Smith left the Jets in 2017 to sign with the Giants, the second of five teams for the 35-year-old journeyman. While Smith rarely saw the field over the next four seasons, he finally turned into a decent starter with the Seahawks from 2022-24. Smith’s play over that 47-start stretch made believers out of the Raiders, who shipped a third-rounder to the Seahawks for him in March 2025 and then handed him a three-year, $75MM extension.
The move backfired for Las Vegas, where Smith turned back into a pumpkin. As a full-time starter for one of the league’s other 3-14 teams, Smith was a statistical nightmare. He ranked last in the league in interceptions (17), 30th in rating and 27th out of 28 qualifiers in QBR.
Smith’s subpar play helped the Raiders secure the top pick in this year’s draft, edging out the Jets via tiebreaker. Several weeks before they spent the No. 1 selection on former Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, the Raiders sent Smith back to the Jets in a late-round pick swap. The Jets’ pivot back to Smith (five GMs since John Idzik drafted him) came after they showed reported interest in free agent options such as Tua Tagovailoa, Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz. Perhaps the Jets would have been better off with any of those three, but we’ll never know.
Smith is now New York’s surefire starter for the first time since 2014, though there is no expectation this will turn into a long-term commitment. As someone who is only under contract through this season, Smith looks like the quintessential veteran stopgap. He’s a relatively inexpensive Band-Aid for the Jets, who are paying just $3.3MM of his $19.5MM salary (the Raiders are on the hook for the rest).
The Jets were in the market for a new starting QB during the offseason because their 2025 roll of the dice on Fields came up snake eyes. The mobile Fields went 11th overall in the 2021 draft but did not establish himself as the solution in either Chicago (2021-23) or Pittsburgh (2024) over his first four seasons. The Jets nonetheless guaranteed Fields $30MM on a two-year, $40MM agreement in free agency. It quickly became obvious they could have made better use of that money.
Fields started in six of the Jets’ first seven games last year. His lone absence came as a result of a concussion that sidelined him in a loss to the Buccaneers in Week 3. Fields struggled when healthy, though, and Glenn yanked him for Tyrod Taylor in a 13-6 loss to the Panthers in Week 7. Johnson took public shots at Fields’ performance the next day.
“It looks like (Glenn) is turning around part of it,” Johnson said on Oct. 21. “It’s hard when you have a quarterback with the rating that we’ve got. He has the ability, but something is not jiving. If you look at any head coach with a quarterback like that, you are going to similar results across the league. You have to play consistently at that position and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”
Johnson’s comments came a few days before the Jets faced the Bengals in Week 8. It initially appeared Glenn would start Taylor in Cincinnati, but a knee injury shelved him. Fields responded to Johnson’s criticism with a strong showing in a 39-38 win, but it proved to be a fluke. After a mid-November loss to the Patriots a couple of weeks later, Glenn pulled the plug on Fields and replaced him with Taylor. It went down as Fields’ last appearance with the Jets, who placed him on IR with a knee injury in late December.
New York at least received late-round compensation for Fields in its trade with Kansas City, though Gang Green had to retain $7MM of his $10MM salary to make it happen. Fields will also count $20MM in dead money against the Jets’ cap this year. With Aaron Rodgers accounting for $35MM, they are stuck with back-to-back failed starters comprising more than a sixth of their 2026 payroll. Fortunately for the Jets, both Fields and Rodgers will be off the books next year.
Turning to the other side of the ball, Glenn and new Titans HC/former Jets leader Robert Saleh put their stamps on their respective defenses in a late-February Sweat-Johnson swap. Saleh landed a 4-3 defensive end he coached to a 7.5-sack season and a Pro Bowl selection in 2023. Johnson tore his ACL the next season, and he did not regain peak form in his return during Glenn’s first year.
After it became clear the Jets had no plans to extend Johnson, who notched just three sacks in 14 games last season, he wanted out of New York. Not only did the Jets grant Johnson’s wish, but they saved a large portion of cap space in the trade and hauled in Sweat, who has an extra year of team control and looks like a better fit for their defense.
Johnson will earn a $14.31MM fifth-year option salary in 2026, his last season before a potential trip to free agency. Sweat, a 2024 second-rounder, is halfway into his rookie contract. He is in line to collect $3.76MM total over the next two seasons. The 6-foot-4, 366-pounder will also give Glenn the exact type of nose tackle he needs for his 3-4 defense.
Having started in 28 of 29 career games, Sweat already has a sizable amount of experience on his resume. Even though Sweat’s traditional numbers don’t jump off the page, Pro Football Focus rated him the league’s fifth-best interior defensive lineman among 127 qualifiers last season. He checked in at No. 4 against the run. If that continues, Sweat will provide a needed jolt to a defense that ranked 29th in run stoppage a year ago.
The Jets’ defense should also benefit from the addition of Fitzpatrick, a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro they appear to have stolen from the division-rival Dolphins. Miami entered the offseason in cap hell, leading to a culling of several high-priced veterans. The cap-strapped Dolphins settled for a seventh-rounder for Fitzpatrick, an eight-year veteran who remained an asset in 2025.
Over 14 games (all starts), Fitzpatrick recorded 82 tackles, six passes defensed, two fumble recoveries, an interception and his first career sack. Fitzpatrick, who racked up a large number of snaps in the slot, at free safety and in the box, rated as PFF’s seventh-best safety among 91 qualifiers.
Miami was not in position to extend Fitzpatrick, whereas New York had more than enough room to give the 29-year-old New Jersey native a raise upon arrival. He will make a fully guaranteed $20.5MM on a three-year, $40.MM accord. The move back to his home state reunited Fitzpatrick with Duker, the Dolphins’ secondary coach and passing game coordinator last season.
Extensions and restructures:
Hall would have been the Jets’ most notable loss in free agency had they let him go, but he never joined fellow high-profile running backs Kenneth Walker and Travis Etienne on the open market. Instead, the Jets slapped the $14.29MM franchise tag on Hall six days before the legal tampering period began in March. Franchising Hall all but secured his place with the Jets in 2026, as no team was going to trade two first-round picks for him. The question was whether the Jets would extend their relationship with Hall beyond then.
Dating back to last season, Mougey and Glenn made it known on multiple occasions they wanted to keep Hall around for the foreseeable future. They rejected pre-trade deadline offers for Hall in hopes of working something out down the line. The Jets finally accomplished their goal in mid-May, when they and Hall shook hands on a deal that will keep him under wraps through his age-27 season in 2028.
Although Hall has never put up all-world counting stats, he now ranks top five at his position in total value, guarantees and average annual salary. The four-year veteran went over the 1,000-yard mark for the first time last season and averaged 4.4 per rush on 243 carries.
Hall “only” ranked 15th in the league in yards, but it was impressive when you consider how little help he had around him. The Jets had no passing game and no major receiving threat for most of 2025, as No. 1 wideout Garrett Wilson missed 10 games with a knee injury (as a result, the team did not have a 400-yard receiver). Now part of a more talented offensive cast, Hall should benefit this year and beyond.
Tippmann, a 2023 second-rounder (the year after Hall went in Round 2), was one of the linemen who cleared the way for the Jets’ top back over the previous three seasons. A starter in 48 of 50 games, the former Wisconsin Badger mostly played center during his first two seasons. But Tippmann solidified himself as the Jets’ right guard in 2025, stepping in after Alijah Vera-Tucker tore his triceps four days ahead of their regular-season opener.
While making his second 17-start season in a row, Tippmann played all but one of the Jets’ 1,048 offensive snaps. PFF ranked Tippmann’s play a solid 30th out of 79 qualified guards, and he did enough to convince the Jets to keep him around on a much higher salary for at least a few more years. With the cost of guards going up as the cap continues to rise, Tippmann is now earning top-10 RG money on the extension he signed last month.
Free agency additions:
- Joseph Ossai, EDGE: Three years, $34.5MM ($22.49MM guaranteed)
- Demario Davis, LB: Two years, $22MM ($15MM guaranteed)
- Dylan Parham, G: Two years, $16MM ($7.49MM guaranteed)
- David Onyemata, DT: One year, $10.5MM ($9.65MM guaranteed)
- Kingsley Enagbare, EDGE: One year, $9MM ($8.49MM guaranteed)
- Dane Belton, S: One year, $4MM ($2MM guaranteed)
- Nashon Wright, CB: One year, $3.5MM (fully guaranteed)
- Andrew Beck, FB: One year, $1.49MM ($1.26MM guaranteed)
- Tim Patrick, WR: One year, $1.25MM ($1MM guaranteed)
- Jason Sanders, K: One year, $1.3MM
- Landon Young, T: One year, $1.22MM
- Cade York, K: One year, $1.15MM
- Gee Scott, WR: One year, $885K
The Jets’ primary free agency focus: lifting a defense that was a non-competitive unit in 2025. Davis, now in his third stint with the Jets (2012-15, 2017), stands out as their most accomplished open market pickup.
Although Davis is entering his age-37 season, the five-time All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler did not show signs of decline in his eighth and final Saints campaign in 2025. While playing the 12th full season of his 14-year career, Davis made 143 tackles, deflected three passes and forced a pair of fumbles. Perhaps more impressively, Davis was PFF’s fifth-rated off-ball linebacker among 88 qualifiers.
Adding to a superb mix of durability and production, Davis has a reputation as one of the game’s most respected leaders. It can’t be quantified, but the Jets expect Davis’ behind-the-scenes impact to help turn around what may have been a toxic locker room in 2025. Defensive tackle Harrison Phillips said after the season, his first with the Jets, that “(Glenn) inherited a very cancerous, truculent group — whole, top to bottom.”
As someone who was on New Orleans’ coaching staff for three of Davis’ seasons with the organization, Glenn knows the middle linebacker well. Glenn will plug in the 246-pound Davis alongside the 216-pound Jamien Sherwood, who will shift from the middle to the weak side. The Jets hope the transition will lead to a better season for Sherwood, who took a step back at the beginning of a three-year, $45MM contract in 2025.
Ossai and Enagbare will be among the outside linebackers flanking Davis and Sherwood in 2026. The Jets paid more for the 6-4, 263-pound Ossai, a 2021 third-rounder who played his entire four-year rookie deal with the Bengals. Ossai talled 14.5 sacks in 61 games in Cincinnati. Ossai enjoyed arguably his most productive season at the ideal time, his platform year in 2025, when he tied a career high with five sacks over 14 games and a personal-best nine starts. He also collected 43 tackles (including a career-best nine for loss), 12 QB hits and two forced fumbles. Although PFF placed Ossai just 70th in overall performance among 119 qualified edge defenders in 2025, the outlet gave him a high grade against the run.
Like Ossai, Enagbare spent his first four years as a rotational player. The 2022 fifth-rounder and former Packer has never made more than seven starts or topped 4.5 sacks in a season. But Enagbare has never missed a game, and he has offered consistent complementary production in each season. He wrapped up his Green Bay tenure in 2025 with 39 tackles, a career-high nine QB hits, six TFLs and two sacks in 17 games and three starts. Those numbers are essentially right in line with his typical output each year.
The Jets’ third-most guarantees in free agency went to Onyemata, a 10-year veteran who overlapped with Glenn and Davis in New Orleans for several seasons. Onyemata left the Saints for the NFC South rival Falcons’ three-year, $35MM offer in 2023. He went on to start in 47 of 48 appearances — including all 17 last season — and average around 52 tackles, eight TFLs and 2.5 sacks per year in Atlanta.
The 310-pound Onyemata only had one sack in 2025, the second-worst single-season mark of his career, but PFF ranked him eighth among 134 qualified interior D-linemen against the run. He has typically held his own as a run defender, which is the main reason the Jets brought him into the fold. With Sweat and Onyemata joining Phillips up front, the Jets should be far more difficult to deal with for opposing ground games this year.
When previewing the Jets’ offseason, I wrote: “Wright is coming off a career year in which he forced a league-leading eight turnovers, twice as many as the Jets induced as a team. That is not sustainable, but someone is going to pay the five-year veteran based on one big season. We’ll see if the turnover-challenged Jets take the plunge.”
The Jets did indeed “take the plunge” on the 6-foot-4 Wright, but it turns out nobody bought into his sudden takeaway outburst enough to dole out big money. That enabled New York to snag Wright on a low-risk, prove-it deal on the heels of his first career Pro Bowl nod. A former Cowboy and Viking, Wright caused just one turnover in his first four years in the league. Surprisingly, though, he morphed into a ball-hawking menace with the Bears in 2025. Wright tallied 80 tackles, 11 passes defensed, five INTs (including a 74-yard pick-six), three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles over 17 games and 16 starts.
Wright played 97% of defensive snaps for Chicago, but the soon-to-be 28-year-old — whom Minnesota cut on two occasions — is not assured a starting spot in New York. He will have to beat out Azareye’h Thomas and possibly D’Angelo Ponds (depending on how slot duties shake out) for the No. 2 job opposite Brandon Stephens.
The Jets didn’t spend much on offense in free agency, but they did authorize a midlevel guard pact for Parham. The former Raider signed to replace departed left guard John Simpson, who started in all 34 games with the Jets from 2024-25. Simpson spent 2023 in Baltimore, where he returned this offseason on a three-year, $30MM contract. The Jets paid a good amount less for Parham, a 2022 third-rounder who was a full-time starter in Las Vegas over his first four seasons.
Parham saw a lot of time at both guard spots with the Raiders, but he took all 843 of his snaps on the left side last season. He was a slightly above-average 37th out of PFF’s 79 guard qualifiers in 2025, outdoing Simpson (50th). It was the second straight 15-game season for Parham, who began his career with two consecutive full campaigns.
If Parham and the rest of the Jets’ starters stay healthy (aside from Vera-Tucker, their O-line was remarkably durable in 2025), he will play with Tippmann, tackles Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou, and center Josh Myers on a weekly basis.
Re-signings:
- Andre Cisco, S: One year, $2.5MM ($1.25MM guaranteed)
- Max Mitchell, G: One year, $2MM ($1MM guaranteed)
- Kene Nwangwu, RB/KR: One year, $2MM ($1MM guaranteed)
- Chukwuma Okorafor, T: One year, $1.48MM ($1.1MM guaranteed)
- Mykal Walker, LB: One year, $1.4MM ($188K guaranteed)
- Xavier Newman-Johnson, G: One year, $1.4MM
- Marcelino McCrary-Ball, CB: One year, $1.15MM
- Jowon Briggs, DL: One year, $1.08MM
Cisco was a full-time starter in Jacksonville from 2022-24, a 46-game span in which he deflected 22 passes and intercepted eight. The Jets brought him in on a one-year, $8.5MM deal in March 2025, but his production declined during an injury-shortened campaign. He deflected just one pass in eight games (all starts) before suffering a pectoral tear in late October. Cisco underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in early November.
Not in position to cash in as a free agent this year, Cisco re-signed with the Jets on a much cheaper pact. Unlike 2025, though, the 26-year-old Queens native is not a lock to make New York’s roster this season. He will have to earn a spot in a safety group that includes Fitzpatrick, Belton, Malachi Moore and seventh-rounder VJ Payne.
Notable losses:
- Tony Adams, S
- Kris Boyd, CB
- Micheal Clemons, DL
- Nick Folk, K
- Khalil Herbert, RB
- Tyler Johnson, WR
- Cam Jones, LB
- Isaiah Oliver, CB
- Josh Reynolds, WR
- Khalen Saunders, DT
- John Simpson, G
- Stone Smartt, TE
- Ja’Sir Taylor, CB
- Tyrod Taylor, QB
- Jay Tufele, DT
- Alijah Vera-Tucker, G
- Quincy Williams, LB
As mentioned, the Jets’ line said goodbye to Simpson. The group also lost Vera-Tucker, who was part of the Jets’ two-first-rounder class in 2021. Unlike quarterback Zach Wilson, the second overall pick that year, Vera-Tucker was good for the Jets when healthy. Unfortunately, he was seldom healthy. Various injuries held the former 14th overall pick to just 43 of 85 games during his half-decade in New York. The Jets kept tabs on Vera-Tucker in the lead-up to free agency, but the Pats lured him on a three-year, $42MM deal with $21MM fully guaranteed.
On the other side of the ball, the Jets’ defense lost more in terms of quantity than quality in free agency. Williams, a five-year starter with the Jets, was their most noteworthy defender to walk out the door. He exited for Cleveland’s two-year, $13MM offer, but it did not come as a surprise that the 2023 All-Pro departed.
Williams was a much better fit under Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich than Glenn, who briefly benched him last fall. The Jets also discussed a trade that would have sent both Quincy and brother Quinnen to Dallas before the Nov. 4 deadline. The Cowboys did indeed land Quinnen, but Quincy rode out the season with the Jets. He finished with 83 tackles, seven passes defensed, five QB hits and 3.5 sacks over 13 games and 12 starts. PFF rated Williams’ play 77th among off-ball LBs, placing him 72 spots behind Davis.
Believe it or not, there are few (if any) bigger losses listed above than the 41-year-old Folk, who has been close to automatic for three consecutive years. Despite back-to-back stellar seasons with the Titans from 2023-24, the well-traveled Folk sat in free agency until last July. The Jets took a $2.88MM flier on Folk, previously a member of the team from 2010-16, and reaped the rewards. Folk drilled 28 of 29 field goals, including 7 of 8 from 50-plus yards, and all 22 extra points. Since 2023, Folk has hit 79 of 82 FGs (a league-high 96.3%) and 75 of 77 PATs.
The Falcons took notice of Folk’s spectacular three-season run, evidenced by the two-year, $9MM contract they awarded him in free agency. It’s a risk when considering Folk’s age and the volatility of kickers, but his 2025 production will be tough to replace for the Jets this season.
Gang Green is set to stage a camp battle between Sanders and York for the job. Sanders was effective with the Dolphins from 2018-24, but he missed all of last season with a hip injury. York also hasn’t kicked in a game in two years, as he was unable to earn a roster spot with the Saints last season. Over a combined 23 appearances with the Browns, Giants, Commanders and Bengals from 2022-24, York made just 73.3% of field goal tries (33 of 45).
Draft:
- Round 1, No. 2: David Bailey (EDGE, Texas Tech) (signed)
- Round 1, No. 16 (from Colts): Kenyon Sadiq (TE, Oregon) (signed)
- Round 1, No. 30 (from Broncos via Dolphins and 49ers): Omar Cooper Jr. (WR, Indiana) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 50 (from Lions): D’Angelo Ponds (CB, Indiana) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 103: Darrell Jackson Jr. (DT, Florida State) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 110 (from Bengals): Cade Klubnik (QB, Clemson) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 188 (from Browns via Seahawks): Anez Cooper (G, Miami) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 228 (from Cowboys via Bills and Raiders): VJ Payne (S, Kansas State) (signed)
Everyone knew the Raiders would go with Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall, which made the Jets’ top selection the first real source of intrigue in the draft. The team considered Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love during the pre-draft process, but a couple of other prospects emerged as frontrunners in early April.
Some reports pegged Bailey as the favorite. Others pointed to Ohio State linebacker/edge defender Arvell Reese as the likely choice at No. 2 overall. Reese did indeed end up in New York, but it was the Giants who took him fifth overall.
Although the Jets canceled a “30” visit with Bailey in mid-April, Mougey told reporters not to “look too much into” it. Sure enough, in his biggest offseason swing to upgrade the Jets’ anemic pass rush, Mougey drafted Bailey second overall.
The 6-foot-3, 254-pound Bailey played his first three college seasons at Stanford, where he totaled 14.5 sacks over 32 games. Bailey transferred to Texas Tech in 2025 and became one of the faces of a dominant defense. He matched his Stanford sack total (an FBS-leading 14.5) in just 14 games. Bailey also finished second in pressures (81) and tackles for loss (19.5), helping him to a unanimous All-America selection and Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year honors.
While the Bailey pick was not a surprise, the Jets snagging a tight end with their second first-rounder (acquired from the Colts in last year’s Sauce Gardner trade) was an eye-opener. Adding a much-needed pass catcher was hardly a shock, but the belief was the Jets would target a wide receiver. Even Sadiq initially feared he was the victim of a prank call when the Jets called to inform him he was the pick at No. 16. He became the Jets’ second significant tight end investment in as many years under Mougey, who drafted Mason Taylor 42nd overall in 2025.
Taylor had a nice rookie year (44 catches in 13 games), but more and more teams are relying on multiple-tight end sets. The Jets will add to the trend, which will be an adjustment for Reich. During his brief run as the Panthers’ head coach in 2023, the last time he called plays in the NFL, Reich deployed a single tight end 87% of the time (h/t: Michael Nania of Jets X-Factor). As the Colts’ head coach from 2018-22, the number ranged from 62% to 77%.
The 6-3, 241-pound Sadiq played three seasons at Oregon, where he broke out during a 51-catch, 540-yard junior year in 2025. After leading all college football TEs in touchdowns (eight), he earned a second-team All-America nod and the Big Ten Tight End of the Year Award.
If Sadiq wasn’t a surefire first-round pick already, he became one when he went to the Combine and ran the fastest 40-yard dash (4.39 seconds) of anyone at his position since at least 2003. The Jets went into the draft knowing Sadiq would require minor hernia surgery, but they didn’t see it as enough of a concern to pass on him. Sadiq should be ready for training camp.
Not content to stop at two first-rounders, Mougey acquired a third when he moved up from 33rd to 30th in a trade with the 49ers. He used the pick on another pass catcher, Cooper, whom the Jets were high on before the draft. During his last two years at Indiana, including a national title-winning campaign in 2025, Cooper combined for 97 receptions, 1,531 yards, 30 plays of 20-plus yards and 20 scores. He also forced 27 missed tackles last season, most among all receivers in this year’s draft class.
The 6-foot, 204-pound Cooper lined up in the slot on over 83% of snaps last year, a drastic change after he took 90% of snaps as a perimeter wideout in 2024. The inside-outside versatility should pay dividends in the pros for Cooper, who could begin his career as the Jets’ No. 3 receiver. Wilson is secure atop the depth chart, while Adonai Mitchell is reportedly the overwhelming favorite for the other starting job. Whether Mitchell will stay locked into that spot remains to be seen. While Mitchell showed flashes after the Jets got him as the third piece in the Gardner trade last November, he has managed mediocre overall production since he went in the second round of the 2024 draft.
A Cooper Indiana teammate, Ponds quickly reunited with him in New York 20 picks later. The 5-9, 173-pound Ponds is similar in size to Glenn, who had a terrific 15-year career as a 5-9, 185-pound corner.
Ponds was excellent in his own right in a three-year run of college ball divided between James Madison and Indiana, where he combined for 169 tackles, 33 pass deflections, 10.5 tackles for loss and seven interceptions in 41 games. As part of Indiana’s national title-winning team, Ponds led the Big Ten in PDs (11), picked off two passes, returned one for a touchdown and earned his second first-team all-conference selection in a row.
Ponds spent the majority of his JMU and Indiana days lining up on the outside, but the Jets also used him in the slot during OTAs and minicamp. The versatility will make it easier for Ponds to carve out an important role in 2026. He could start on the outside opposite Stephens, though Wright and Thomas are also candidates, or overtake Jarvis Brownlee for the slot position.
Mendoza, Alabama’s Ty Simpson (No. 13, Rams), Miami’s Carson Beck (No. 65, Cardinals) and Penn State’s Drew Allar (No. 76, Steelers) were the only QBs to come off the board in the first 100 picks. The Jets had no chance to draft Mendoza, but they did their due diligence on Simpson, Beck and Allar. In the end, though, the team waited until the fourth round to address the position.
The Jets jumped 18 spots (to No. 110) in a trade with the Bengals to pick Klubnik, whose stock fell during an underwhelming senior season at Clemson in 2025. As he begins his pro career, Klubnik will compete with Bailey Zappe for the Jets’ backup job. The Jets could add another signal-caller to the mix to join those two and Brady Cook, but they want to evaluate Klubnik before acting on anything.
Other:
McDonald drew interest leading up to last November’s trade deadline, but Mougey was more open to moving Johnson at the time. Sure enough, Mougey officially chose McDonald over Johnson in the offseason. A few months after dealing Johnson for Sweat, Mougey locked in McDonald through 2027 when he picked up the pass rusher’s fifth-year option. However, there is no hurry on the Jets’ part to offer McDonald a long-term arrangement. They will let him play out this season before they consider opening extension talks.
Former GM Joe Douglas took McDonald 15th overall in 2023, but the Iowa State product played just 16% of defensive snaps during a 15-game, three-sack rookie season. He emerged as a full-time starter under Saleh and Ulbrich in 2024 and remained a first-teamer under Glenn last year. In 32 games and 29 starts during the past two seasons, McDonald totaled 18.5 sacks. Over 15 games in 2025, the 6-5, 245-pounder led the Jets in pressures (42), QB hits (19), tackles for loss (10) and sacks (eight).
While McDonald has done a nice job pressuring the QB, he has been a liability against opposing ground games. PFF ranked McDonald among the worst run defenders at his position from 2024-25. He also registered a bloated 21.1% missed tackle rate last season. Nevertheless, the Jets are willing to live with McDonald’s flaws because of what he offers as a pass rusher. Now that Glenn has a deeper group along the edge, he should be in better position to keep McDonald off the field on obvious run downs.
On April 29, the same day the Jets said yes to McDonald’s option, they declined Smith’s. That was the only possible outcome for Smith, who has been a bust since he went 26th overall to the Cowboys in the 2023 draft. New York acquired Smith from Dallas as a throw-in piece in the teams’ Quinnen Williams blockbuster. Smith got into three games after the trade and played 54 defensive snaps, but he didn’t make a single tackle. The former Michigan standout will have to fight for a roster spot this summer, though cutting him would save nothing on the Jets’ cap and leave them with $2.56MM in dead money.
Glenn was the the Lions’ defensive coordinator in 2024, the year the team made Arnold the 24th pick in the draft. As a rookie in Glenn’s defense, the former Alabama star started 15 of 16 games and easily led Lions defensive corners in snaps (948). The connection to Glenn explains the Jets’ recent interest in the 23-year-old Arnold, who is now a free agent, though his career is in jeopardy in the wake of a late-June arrest.
A few days after Arnold turned himself in on eight felony kidnapping and armed robbery charges, the Lions cut ties with him. Arnold is accused of being the “primary conspirator” in a plot to kidnap and beat three men he believed robbed more than $250K of personal property from his Airbnb rental unit in Largo, Fla., in February. Arnold has vehemently denied wrongdoing, but he could face life in prison if convicted.
In a July 10 appearance in a Florida court, agent Nicole Lynn testified that the Jets and three other teams reached out regarding her client. Arnold is confined to his home in Florida as he awaits trial, but he is allowed to meet with interested teams. Lynn said he worked out for the Texans and had set up visits with two other clubs, though it is unknown if the Jets have pursued him since then.
Geno Smith has also dealt with an unwelcome legal situation this summer, but he is not facing punishment at the moment. Police were called to his home in Davie., Fla., on June 21 over an alleged battery. A woman accused Smith of running outside and attacking her, breaking her computer and stealing money from her car. Police reviewed the case, which they have since declared inactive because of a lack of evidence.
As of now, it does not appear the league will discipline Smith under its personal conduct policy. He should be at the helm when the Jets’ season kicks off on Sept. 13 in Tennessee.
In one final note on free agency, Wilson claimed in May that the Jets made him an offer to serve as Smith’s backup. It would have been a reversal of their 2019-21 roles in Seattle, where Smith sat behind Wilson. The Jets’ interest in Wilson was reportedly “overblown,” though, and he retired in June.
Top 10 cap charges for 2026:
- Brandon Stephens, CB: $13.97MM
- Jamien Sherwood, LB: $11.5MM
- Breece Hall, RB: $11.48MM
- Garrett Wilson, WR: $10.07MM
- David Bailey, EDGE: $9.94MM
- Harrison Phillips, DL: $7.5MM
- Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB: $7.41MM
- Armand Membou, T: $7.25MM
- Olu Fashanu, T: $5.59MM
- Joseph Ossai, EDGE: $5.46MM
We saw four teams go from the dregs of the league to contention in a one-year span last season. The Patriots, Jaguars, Bears and 49ers each won six or fewer games in 2024, but they all hit double digits and earned playoff berths in ’25. The Jets take can take inspiration from that group as they head into this year, though odds are they are at least one more offseason of competent roster building from pushing for a playoff spot.
This is a better team than Glenn had to work with last year, but it is still riddled with flaws and continuing to lack an answer under center. Smith will keep the seat warm for now, but armed with three more first-rounders in 2027, the Jets are already eyeing next year’s QB class.
This season will count as a success for the Jets if more young core members emerge and the team at least poses a challenge on a regular basis. Last year’s squad lost nine games by at least 13 points, including a humiliating five in a row by 23 or more to end the season. Nothing like that should happen this year. If it does, Glenn may not get a third season to right the ship.
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