With the Jets sitting as the NFL’s only winless team at 0-5 while also sporting a fourteen-year playoff drought, fans are understandably growing increasingly agitated as the season drags on. Some fans who were bought in to the hire of Aaron Glenn and told themselves he was the answer, are now demanding he be a 1-and-done head coach.
And one word we’ve seen floating around far more now than at any point this offseason is “rebuild”, as some suggest that’s the stage the Jets are in right now. Is that true though? Is Gang Green in a position in which the entire roster, or at least their 22 starters, need to be replaced? Not necessarily.
If you wan to see a team that needed to be torn down and built back up, look no further than the 2019 Jets, whose starting lineups on both sides of the ball were littered with players who would not only be benched, but out of the league entirely within just a season or two. Is this team today as bad as that team was in terms of talent? Not a chance.
In fact, their 0-5 record would suggest the Jets another collection of players who can’t get out of their own way in any facet of the game, but that’s simply not the case.
Gang Green is currently the NFL’s third-best rushing team behind a strong young offensive line that’s performing well despite the loss of guard Alijah Vera-Tucker just before the season got started.
On defense, they have multiple players who have either been all-pro or pro-bowlers at every level. So is this a roster that need to be completely gutted, or are there just some gaps that need to be filled?
We would argue the latter. The Jets are set on the offensive line with only Josh Myers being somebody they should explore upgrading this offseason. Breece Hall may not be around for much longer, but as long as he is, he gives the Jets a very good dual threat back who is currently averaging 5.3 yards per carry; his best production since his rookie season.
Of course the biggest hole on the roster is the most important one in the sport as Justin Fields struggles to produce points before games get out of hand. Aside from his touchdown pass in week 1 that gave Gang Green an early lead, his three scoring strikes since then have all come with the Jets trailing by at least two touchdowns. At this point in time, Fields would have to be viewed as a guy you don’t expect to move forward with for very long.
Justin Fields has four touchdown passes for the @nyjets this season.
The first one gave them a 9-7 lead in the Pittsburgh game.
The other three came with the Jets trailing by 14, 23 and 24.
— (@JNRadio_Glenn) October 6, 2025
Other than Fields, the Jets have a gaping hole at WR2 where they hope Arian Smith will eventually step up, but that’s not likely to happen anytime soon. A viable slot receiver would also come in handy, but the need there isn’t as pressing with the recent emergence of rookie tight end Mason Taylor.
In the grand scheme of things, that’s not a great deal of need on offense. And on defense? Will McDonald, Quinnen Williams and Jermaine Johnson, for as long as they’re with the team, gives the Jets a trio of former first round picks who range anywhere from very good to all-pro. Jowon Briggs has been a nice find at defensive tackle, but if we assume he’s not a long-term answer, that gives you three out of four rock solid starters.
Quincy Williams is one of the top linebackers in the NFL and once healthy, should be in line for his best year as a pro in terms of getting to the quarterback. There’s no denying that the safety room is a mess and that Brandon Stephens is far from a sure thing as their second cornerback, but needing five or six players to round out your starting lineup is a far cry from having to overhaul more than half of them.
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