Jets fans got an unexpected dose of optimism from CBS Sports on Monday, and it came from a place they probably didn’t see coming: Robert Saleh’s old team getting a little credit.
NFL analyst John Breech ranked the eight teams eligible for a worst-to-first turnaround, a feat 12 teams have pulled off since 2015, and slotted the Jets at No. 4. That put New York one spot ahead of the Titans and, in Breech’s view, gave the Jets a better shot at winning the AFC East than Tennessee has at taking the AFC South.
“The Patriots pulled off a worst-to-first run in the AFC East last season, and if Smith and the defense both step up, the Jets might be able to stay in the division title hunt until late in the season, which would be a moral victory for a team that hasn't won the AFC East since 2002,” Breech wrote.
For a fan base that has spent months watching CBS Sports take swings at the Jets, even this mild praise landed like a surprise. It was enough to make July 27, 2026, feel like a day worth remembering.
Still, the optimism has its limits. The Patriots’ turnaround came with Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye driving the charge, and with the Dolphins and Jets both stumbling through losing seasons.
Vrabel brought a proven coaching résumé from his time with the Titans, while Maye arrived as a 2024 first-round pick. That’s a much stronger setup than the one Aaron Glenn is walking into with the 2026 Jets.
Even if New England slips a bit, the Patriots still look built for another playoff push. And in the AFC East, nothing comes easy with Josh Allen in the mix. Beating him over a full season is always a risky bet, something Patriots fans have already learned in the past with Peyton Manning and the Colts.
As for Breech’s suggestion that the Jets can hang around in the postseason race, there is at least some logic behind it. Glenn’s energy and clear drive to succeed with his former team stand out, and the Jets are also counting on their rookies - especially their three first-round picks and cornerback D’Angelo Ponds - to make an immediate impact.
If CBS Sports keeps this kind of objectivity coming, Jets fans may have a reason to keep paying attention.
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Garrett Wilsons Adonai Mitchell Praise Says A Lot About Jets Ceiling
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Mitchell is expected to settle in as the Jets WR2 in 2026 after stepping in as the interim leading receiver in 2025, and his numbers from last season hint at why the team is optimistic. He finished with 24 catches for 301 yards and two touchdowns, and the belief around him is that better quarterback play could unlock even more. If Wilson is already openly praising him, it only adds to the sense that New Yorks ceiling depends on how quickly that next layer of the passing game comes together. [Read more 🡒]