The Jets open the season in Tennessee with more than just a Week 1 trip on the line. They’re walking into Nissan Stadium to face Robert Saleh, the coach the Titans brought in after New York fired him following just five games of the 2024 season. And because Saleh now has a crowd of familiar faces around him, this one comes with plenty of built-in edge.
There’s a reason the matchup between David Bailey and Dan Moore Jr. jumps off the page. Bailey wasn’t listed with the starting defense, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be short on opportunities Sunday.
He put together an excellent camp, flashing the speed and strength that made him the second overall pick in last April’s draft. He could rotate with Kingsley Enagbare, who is stronger against the run, but Bailey is still expected to play a major role in his regular-season debut.
The most likely target for Bailey is Moore Jr., who had a rough first year in Tennessee. Moore Jr. posted a PFF grade of 61.9, which ranked 62nd out of 89 offensive linemen.
He gave up 48 total pressures, including eight sacks, and was flagged seven times. Bailey could also draw JC Latham, the Titans’ first-round pick in 2023.
Either way, the Jets may like that matchup. Moore Jr. and Latham combined to allow 15 sacks last season.
Garrett Wilson gives the Jets another matchup worth circling. The top receiver is fully healthy after missing nine games last season with a knee injury, and it will be interesting to see how offensive coordinator Frank Reich deploys him.
If Wilson lines up outside, he’d likely see Alontae Taylor, one of Tennessee’s bigger offseason additions. Taylor, a former second-round pick of the Saints, signed a three-year, $58 million deal with the Titans.
Taylor isn’t an elite corner, but he did have a strong final season in New Orleans. He finished with 83 tackles, two interceptions, two sacks and 11 passes defended. Wilson should be busy on Sunday with Geno Smith expected to look his way often, and this will be his first game since November of last year.
Then there’s the bigger-picture wrinkle: Saleh’s old Jets players are everywhere on this Tennessee roster. Jermaine Johnson, Jacob Martin, John Franklin-Myers, Solomon Thomas and Tony Adams are all set to play on defense. The Titans also worked out former Jets receivers Xavier Gipson and Jason Brownlee earlier this week, while Michael Carter, Jalyn Holmes and Isaiah Oliver are on the practice squad.
That doesn’t automatically make them difference-makers, but it does give the game an unusual feel. Thomas, in particular, sounded bothered by the way things ended in New York.
In an interview with The Tennessean, he said Saleh didn’t deserve to be fired after the Jets’ 2024 Week 5 loss to the Vikings in London. At that point, New York was 2-3, and Saleh’s career record as Jets head coach stood at 20-36.
The revenge-game angle can get overplayed, but this one has enough personal history to make it real. The former Jets will be eager to deliver for Saleh, and the current Jets need to handle that noise.
On paper, they’re the stronger team. Anything less than a win would leave a bad look for Aaron Glenn’s group, especially against a roster filled with players who were never all that impactful in New York.
In Other News...
Jets Had Even Their Top Pick Guessing Before The Draft
The pre-draft process can be a maze for prospects, and David Bailey had one of the more confusing paths of all. About two weeks before the 2026 NFL Draft, the Jets canceled a planned meeting with the Texas Tech edge rusher, a move that left some uncertainty around how strongly they were considering him at the top of the board.
Bailey later said in an interview that he was unsure where he stood with New York, even as his agent told him the cancellation was not a sign of fading interest. The uncertainty ended in the biggest possible way for the Jets, who still made Bailey the No. 2 overall pick and made clear that a missed meeting was never the full story. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Enter Week 1 With Depth Concerns Aaron Glenn Couldn't Ease
The Jets are heading into Week 1 with a few key depth questions still hanging over the roster, and Aaron Glenn could only do so much to calm them before kickoff. Edge rusher Joseph Ossai and wide receiver Tim Patrick have already been ruled out for the opener, while rookie cornerback DAngelo Ponds and kick returner Kene Nwangwu were both listed as doubtful after dealing with calf and back injuries.
For a team trying to settle into a rhythm early, those absences matter because they trim the margin for error on both sides of the ball and in the return game. Glenn offered updates on where each player stands and sounded encouraged about Ossais recovery timetable, but the Jets still have to get through Sunday with some uncertainty attached to spots they were hoping would be settled by now. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Head Into Week 1 With Key Roles Suddenly In Doubt
The Jets are already dealing with a little September uncertainty before the opener even arrives, as Aaron Glenn ruled out edge rusher Joseph Ossai and wide receiver Tim Patrick for Week 1. Ossai was hurt in the preseason finale with a foot injury, leaving a spot on the edge suddenly unavailable, while Patricks absence trims another option from a receiver room that needs to settle in quickly once the games count.
There is more nervousness on the depth chart, too, with cornerback DAngelo Ponds and returner Kene Nwangwu both listed as doubtful because of injuries. Ponds is working through a calf strain, and Nwangwus availability is complicated by hamstring problems, which adds another layer of uncertainty to the Jets' special teams plans and secondary rotation heading into opening week. [Read more 🡒]