For the first time this season, the Jets didn’t get to keep the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week belt in Florham Park.
New York had been on a run, winning four of the first eight awards of the 2026 season, and it looked like the streak might continue after David Bailey turned in a two-sack, two-forced-fumble performance against the Kansas City Chiefs. Instead, the honor went across town to Giants rookie Arvell Reese.
Reese earned the nod after a huge day in the Giants’ first win at Lincoln Financial Field since 2013. The former Ohio State Buckeye piled up 12 tackles, three tackles for loss, three sacks, and a forced fumble. He also picked up NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the effort.
Nobody’s questioning the choice. Reese was the league’s top rookie performer this past weekend, and he did it while holding down the middle of a Giants defense dealing with injuries.
But from the Jets’ side, the loss stings in a different way. This is a fanbase that had gotten used to seeing one of its rookies take the award whenever the team had a candidate in the mix, and this time Giants fans got to celebrate instead.
The Jets had already stacked up plenty of Rookie of the Week hardware this year. Tight end Kenyon Sadiq was first, taking the award after his seven-catch, 105-yard, touchdown game against the Detroit Lions in Week 3.
Bailey followed in Week 5 after his three-sack breakout against the Cleveland Browns, and he also landed AFC Defensive Player of the Week. More recently, wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. won it in back-to-back weeks, putting together 100-yard, one-touchdown games against the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins.
After that stretch, it was hard to imagine the Jets losing out when another rookie was in the running. But with the team sitting at 2-7, the season has gone flat, and the award race doesn’t carry the same juice it once did.
The Jets appear committed to giving Aaron Glenn a chance to salvage things, even as the results have made the situation look pretty clear.
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