10 instant reactions to NY Jets’ trade deadline frenzy

The problem is that it didn’t translate to much production. Much of that is due to Richardson’s accuracy and Mitchell not being targeted.

Mitchell also owns some of the blame. He dropped four passes, went 0-for-5 on contested targets, and fumbled twice, so the Jets’ coaches must work with him on his hands. Overall, though, he showed a fantastic ceiling for a rookie second-round pick.

Playing a situational role to begin the 2024 season, Mitchell got off to a fast start with an improved quarterback in Daniel Jones. Through Week 4, Mitchell had caught 7-of-12 passes for 137 yards on just 51 routes run; that’s a sublime average of 2.69 yards per route run.

However, it all came crashing down when he Malachi Corley’d a would-be touchdown against the Rams, proving costly in a close loss.

Mitchell was put in the doghouse after that play, playing just 24 offensive snaps over the team’s next five games and catching two of his four targets for 15 yards.

As ugly as that play is, it almost makes him even more intriguing for the Jets. Because of that one mistake, Mitchell was buried in the Colts’ game plan. It’s a deserved punishment for an egregious blunder, but Mitchell is unlikely to ever make that mistake again. Yet, it caused his value to tank since he was rotting on the bench, allowing the Jets to benefit by buying low on him as a trade throw-in.

The Jets might have gotten a steal in this kid.

7. Not sure the same can be said about Mazi Smith

Both trades netted a player who was recently chosen high in the draft. In the Gardner deal, it was Mitchell, and in the Williams deal, it was defensive tackle Mazi Smith, a 2023 first-rounder of the Cowboys.

Unlike Mitchell, Smith seems like a true throw-in who might be entrenched as who he is.

Smith struggled mightily over his first two seasons with the Cowboys. Across 34 games (828 defensive snaps), he picked up just two sacks, six quarterback hits, and 16 total pressures while grading poorly against the run. After starting all 17 games in 2024, he was buried in a backup role this season, which is saying a lot on a Cowboys defense that has been putrid.

The Jets’ coaching staff will try to flex its muscles by turning Smith back into the player he was at Michigan, but there’s a large enough sample size to suggest that Smith probably isn’t a great NFL player. If Glenn and the staff can turn him around, though, it would be a gigantic feather in their player-development caps—signaling they might be the right staff to maximize the incoming haul of draft picks.

Smith will surely have plenty of chances to prove himself, as with Williams gone, there are many snaps to go around for the Jets’ interior defensive line.

8. Jets have a lot of upside at WR

Between Mitchell, John Metchie, and Arian Smith, the Jets have a lot of young potential at the wide receiver position.

All three wideouts are aged 25 and under. Additionally, they have all posted strong separation metrics, but have yet to translate it into production.

All three receivers have battled extenuating circumstances that limited their production. Metchie fought through leukemia as a rookie and was then buried on the Texans and Eagles’ depth charts. Mitchell dealt with Richardson, while Smith has dealt with Justin Fields.

The situation in New York won’t be much better over the next nine games, as they still have to catch passes from Fields and Tyrod Taylor in a run-heavy offense. Still, they’ll get plenty of chances to showcase themselves in a wide-open receiver room that lacks talent outside of Garrett Wilson.

The key for the Jets and their fans is to evaluate these players beyond their box-score stats. It is unlikely that anyone outside of Wilson will put up impressive receiving stats in this offense for the rest of 2025. But each receiver can still be evaluated on their route-running, their blocking effort, and their ability to maximize whatever catching opportunities they get.

All three of these players won’t be long-term starters for the Jets, but with three intriguing lottery tickets, the hope is that New York can lock down at least one spot in the 2026 wide receiver rotation by the end of this season, perhaps even two.

9. Jets still have a lot of young talent and the ability to fill 2026 roster holes in 2025

We just talked about how the Jets’ youth and upside at wide receiver could allow them to solve 2026 roster holes before the end of this season. That’s not the only position where this applies.

Despite losing Gardner and Williams, the Jets are still stacked with talented young players who can use the next nine games to win key roles on the 2026 depth chart, giving Mougey fewer holes to worry about in the offseason.

Cornerback is one of them.

The strong play of rookie Azareye’h Thomas, free agent signing Brandon Stephens, and recent trade pickup Jarvis Brownlee had to be a critical factor in the Gardner trade. With Gardner sidelined, that trio was phenomenal in a road game against Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins last week. It extended each player’s recent stretch of impressive performance. Their quality production must have inspired confidence that the future of the cornerback position would remain bright without Gardner.

If that trio continues performing well, the Jets can enter the 2026 offseason with their starting cornerback trio solidified. That’s a big-time luxury for such a premium position, especially when you just dealt a superstar at the position.

Defensively, rookies like linebacker Francisco Mauigoa and safety Malachi Moore will have chances to build on early flashes and earn future starting spots.

On offense, tight end Mason Taylor has established himself as a high-ceiling long-term starter. The offensive line is loaded with young talent.

All hope is not lost in New York. The Jets still have players who can help them win games in the short term while simultaneously providing hope for the long term.

10. Kudos to Sauce and Quinnen, whose accomplishments must not be downplayed

Two things can be true:

• The Jets were smart to take these trades
• Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams were amazing with the Jets

It seems as if many Jets fans on social media have reacted to these deals with strong opinions on either side of the spectrum.

Some Jets fans think the team is mindless for dealing away two of its few star-level players. Other Jets fans are throwing a parade that the team dealt a zero-interception corner and a one-sack defensive tackle; at last, they are freed from Gardner’s constant penalties and missed tackles! (So they claim.)

Gardner and Williams deserve their flowers for what they accomplished in New York. They are two of the best players in franchise history and remain two of the NFL’s best players at their respective positions.

Jets fans can celebrate the fruits of the trade while honoring Gardner and Williams’ accomplishments at the same time. It isn’t necessary to downplay Gardner and Williams’ legacies to justify the deals.

Gardner is one of the best cover corners to ever play the game: plain and simple. In an era where sticking with receivers is harder than ever before (as intended by the rules, which are designed to promote offense), Gardner has consistently rated at the top of every coverage metric for four straight years, from the moment he stepped on the field as a rookie in 2022 to this very day.

The only people who think Gardner isn’t any good are the ones who scout cornerbacks by Googling “How many interceptions does Sauce Gardner have?”

Williams is one of the best two-way defensive tackles the league has seen over the past decade. Some are better pass rushers, some are better run defenders, but few have impacted both phases the way he has. He’s done it with very little help on the Jets’ interior defensive line.

Similar to Gardner, Williams is undervalued by fans because he is relatively unimpressive in outdated box-score stats that are easy for casual fans to Google but don’t accurately encapsulate on-field impact.

Gardner and Williams combined for five Pro Bowls and three first-team All-Pro nods. They consistently were among the few bright spots within a fledgling organization.

Despite the constant losing, both players elected to sign long-term contracts with the Jets when given chances to play elsewhere. They routinely stated their desire to be a part of the solution in New York. In the locker room, both players stood out as consummate professionals and respected leaders.

The Jets had to accept these trade offers, but Gardner and Williams leave big shoes to fill. Even with all of the assets they yielded, it will be difficult for the Jets to find two players who rack up the same accomplishments and production.

Jets fans can enjoy these trade returns and feel optimistic about the future without stepping on Gardner and Williams. New York didn’t “rob” the Colts for a corner who always holds, or “fleece” the Cowboys for a defensive tackle with one sack. They traded two stars for the packages they are worth.

In the coming years, we’ll see if those packages become the foundation of the Jets’ long-awaited turnaround, or if the Jets live to regret dumping two great players who could have been part of their rebuild.

Gardner and Williams should be applauded for the legacies they built in New York. After years of patience and consistent production, both are well-deserving of a chance to finally play some meaningful December games.