Minkah Fitzpatrick is set to give the Jets a major boost in Week 4.
After missing two games with a groin injury suffered on the sixth play of the season opener, Fitzpatrick returned to full practice on Thursday and said he’s ready to go when New York meets the Chicago Bears in Chicago at Soldier Field. The Jets brought him in from the Miami Dolphins during the offseason, and the resume speaks for itself: five Pro Bowls, three All-Pro selections and 21 career interceptions.
That kind of playmaking is exactly what New York has been missing. The Jets have gone 20 straight games without an interception, a staggering drought for a defense that has been waiting for a difference-maker to flip the script. Last season, the Jets became the first team in NFL history not to record a defensive interception and to lose five straight games by 23 or more points within a single season in 2025.
The timing of Fitzpatrick’s return could line up well. Chicago may be without Caleb Williams, who is dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring strain.
Even so, the Bears got strong quarterback play from Case Keenum in Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. Keenum threw for 247 yards, two touchdowns and added a rushing score.
New York’s offense, meanwhile, has been steady enough to keep the team moving. The Jets are averaging 21.3 points per game, while the defense is allowing 20.3 points per contest.
A big reason for that balance has been Geno Smith. In his second stint with the Jets, Smith has opened the year with 783 passing yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, while completing 75.5% of his throws.
Tight end Jeremy Ruckert summed up the confidence around him this way: "He's a warrior, man," tight end Jeremy Ruckert said, via ESPN. "He's a field general.
We have the utmost confidence in him."
Smith also turned in a strong performance in Week 3, even though the Jets fell to the Detroit Lions. He went 31-for-37 for 321 yards and three touchdowns, continuing a sharp start that looks nothing like last season, when he was arguably the worst starter in the league with the Las Vegas Raiders.
So far, Smith has avoided the turnover problems that followed him a year ago. After leading the NFL in interceptions last season, he hasn’t thrown one this year, and against Detroit he repeatedly hit tight windows with precise passes and good touch.
The veteran’s best NFL seasons came with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022 and 2023. He made the Pro Bowl both years and won AP Comeback Player of the Year in 2022. Smith entered this season with 22,168 passing yards, 124 passing touchdowns and 89 career interceptions, and he carries a 43-58-0 record as a starter into Week 4.
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Aaron Glenns first few weeks on the job have already featured the kind of injury churn that can test a new coaching staff, and the Week 4 trip to face the Chicago Bears brings another round of roster uncertainty. The Jets ruled out wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, running back Breece Hall, guard Dylan Parham, tight end Mason Taylor and linebacker Francisco Mauigoa, trimming depth on both sides of the ball as they try to keep the season moving in the right direction.
Hall and Parham were already expected to miss after the previous game, but Mitchell and Taylor had been in limbo for much of the week, leaving Glenn to sort through a lineup that keeps shifting late in the process. Edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare is also dealing with a knee injury and remains limited in practice, adding another question mark to a defense that can least afford to be thin going into a matchup with the Bears. [Read more 🡒]
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For Jets fans, it is the sort of chatter that brings an old rival back into the frame, at least hypothetically, because any comeback discussion would immediately invite thoughts about scheduling and what it could mean for New York. Brady has not responded to the comments, and there is no real sign of a return, but the very fact the possibility is being floated is enough to keep the topic alive a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
Jets May Soon Get A Real Answer On Braelon Allen
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Allen has sounded confident in his preparation and in the role he could be asked to fill, which makes this a meaningful moment for New York beyond one Sunday. If Hall is unavailable, the Jets are not just filling snaps, they are testing how much trust they can place in Allen when the offense needs a steady answer on the ground. [Read more 🡒]