New York Jets 2026 Offseason Outlook

Seeing Sam Darnold hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a Super Bowl champion with the Seattle Seahawks is about as New Yortk Jets a thing as there can be. Darnold lasted three seasons with the Jets after being the third overall pick inthe 2018 draft. After Darnold’s three seasons, the Jets quarterbacks have been Zach Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor. With Fields and Taylor unlikely to return in 2026, the Jets are once again looking for a new No. 1 QB. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg for a team that ended the 2025 season looking historically bad.

It seemed as if Aaron Glenn’s job was in jeopardy after just one season, but the Jets retained him as head coach. He’ll get some help in 2026 with new offensive coordinator Frank Reich, who has six seasons as an NFL head coach under his belt. While finding a new quarterback is the priority, the Jets also must figure out if they are going to re-sign running back Breece Hall, who will be in demand on the free-agent market, or go in another direction. On defense, meanwhile, the Jets traded away their two best players, cornerback Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, so rebuilding is in full swing.

2025 recap

It’s hard to believe the Jets entered 2025 with somewhat serious playoff aspirations. Instead, they finished 3-14. They ranked 30th in total offense; not only did the Jets finish 25th in total defense in 2025, they set an unbelievable NFL record by becoming the first team to go an entire season with ZERO interceptions. It’s impossible to say this team didn’t give up down the stretch: The Jets lost their last five games of the seaosn by an average margin of 26.8 points.

Key free agents

S Andre Cisco
LB Quincy Williams
QB Tyrod Taylor
T Alijah Vera-Tucker
K Nick Folk
RB Breece Hall

Jets salary cap space

$83,263,050

2026 draft needs

The Jets have two first-round picks — No. 2 and No. 16 — but there likely isn’t a quarterback worth taking with that second overall pick. Do they take a chance on a QB with the 16th pick? They certainly would like to find a cornerback to rpwlace Gardner and an interior defensive lineman to replace Quinnen Williams. It wouldn’t hurt to find a productive wide receiver to complement Garrett Wilson.

2026 opponents

Home:Buffalo, Miami, New England, Cleveland, Denver, Green Bay, Las Vegas, Minnesota

Away:Buffalo, Miami, New England, Arizona, Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, L.A. Chargers, Tennessee