The Jets didn’t need to be on the field to get a little help in Week 9. While New York was getting hammered by the Chiefs, the bigger picture for the franchise was unfolding in the Cowboys-Colts game - and two former Jets had a hand in how it played out.
Dallas beat Indianapolis 27-23, which matters to the Jets because they own both teams’ first-round picks. The Colts had clawed back from a 20-10 deficit and taken a 23-20 lead, but Dallas answered with a 46-yard pass play that flipped the field and got them into Colts territory right away. Sauce Gardner was the one beaten on the big gain, with Ryan Flournoy getting behind the former Jets first-round pick.
Then Quinnen Williams stepped in and changed the next sequence. On the following drive, Williams broke through the Colts’ protection and forced an off-target Daniel Jones throw that Caleb Downs picked off. Williams led Dallas in tackles in the game, and the result was another boost for the Jets’ draft position.
Williams has been doing that kind of damage all season. He entered the game third in the NFL in pressures among qualified defensive linemen, and he’s done it while dealing with a struggling coach and little help around him up front.
Dallas paid a steep price to get him, but he has still looked like the same disruptive force he was in New York. In that sense, the trade has a chance to work out for both sides.
The Gardner deal with Indianapolis has looked even more tilted toward the Jets. The same old story seems to follow him: he’s still hard to throw at, still capable of shutting down top receivers, and still part of a team that can’t get out of its own way. He has also been responsible for a few costly plays at the worst possible moments.
Even with Adonai Mitchell included in the Sauce Gardner trade, the Jets could still come out ahead in a major way if they land a tight end of the future in Kenyon Sadiq and use the extra draft capital to find a franchise quarterback.
Right now, the Jets are sitting in a strong spot for the 2027 NFL Draft. If the season ended today, they would own the No. 4 pick through the Indianapolis trade and the No. 6 pick from their own record. The worse of Dallas or Green Bay would push that selection even higher, which would leave the Jets with the No. 13 pick from the Cowboys.
That kind of draft haul could let New York attack several needs at once: a franchise quarterback, a cornerback with more upside than Brandon Stephens or Azareye’h Thomas, and a much-needed jolt to a thin defensive line. It all traces back to moving on from two players who belonged to a different version of Jets football.
In the end, Dallas winning and Indianapolis losing was the ideal outcome for New York. And if Gardner and Williams had come through for their old team one more time, the Jets wouldn’t have gotten that break.
In Other News...
Jets Face A Geno Smith Decision That Could Derail The Offense
With the NFL trade deadline approaching, the conversation around Geno Smith has turned into one of the more delicate ones facing the Jets. The idea of moving him has been floated as a way to chase draft capital, and Minnesota has been mentioned as a possible suitor, but this is not the kind of move that can be judged only by the return on paper. Smith has been a stabilizing presence for an offense that needs one, and the timing matters as much as the compensation.
For the Jets, the bigger issue is what happens to the players around him if they choose to break that up. Smiths presence has helped young targets like Omar Cooper Jr., Kenyon Sadiq, Mason Taylor and Adonai Mitchell settle in and grow, which is the sort of developmental progress teams usually want to protect, not interrupt. If the front office decides to listen on offers, it will have to weigh a short-term asset gain against the risk of setting the offense back at a moment when continuity still matters. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Face A Will McDonald Decision That Could Spark Debate
Will McDonald IVs role has quietly shifted in the Jets defense this season, even as injuries have thinned the pass-rush group around him. It has created an odd little roster wrinkle for a team that still values edge depth, but also has enough draft capital to avoid making a move just for the sake of it.
According to The Athletics Zack Rosenblatt, there is at least some interest in entertaining a McDonald trade, though the price would have to be meaningful enough to change the Jets thinking. For now, the more likely path is standing pat through the 2026 trade deadline, with any real shopping more apt to happen on the offensive side than along the edge. [Read more 🡒]
Breece Hall Returns With More Than Just His Jets Role At Stake
Breece Hall is expected back for the Jets against the Chiefs after missing time with an injury, and his return brings more than just a familiar name back into the backfield. In his absence, Braelon Allen made a strong case for a larger role, giving New York a useful reminder that the running game can still function with a different look when Hall is sidelined.
Hall also opened up about stepping away from social media during the layoff, a sign that the week away carried a heavier personal toll than just rehab and missed snaps. He was candid about the pressure around his status and the noise that can follow a player through injuries and role questions, even as he heads back into a backfield where the conversation has changed a bit since he last suited up. [Read more 🡒]