The Jets got another big offensive day from Geno Smith in Week 3, but the line in front of him didn’t give him much peace. New York’s offense kept firing, and Smith helped push the team into a shootout, yet the protection issues were impossible to miss once you dug past the surface.
No one had a rougher afternoon up front than Olu Fashanu. The left tackle was charged with five pressures and 2.5 sacks allowed, a glaring line in a game where the Jets needed cleaner work from the edges. Detroit’s pass rush was a problem, but Fashanu’s tape had too many losing reps, and he didn’t even spend most of the day dealing with Aidan Hutchinson, who was busy working on the other side against Armand Membou.
The frustrating part for New York is that this isn’t just about one bad outing. Fashanu has opened the year in a hole, and the numbers are hard to ignore.
Through 127 pass-blocking reps, he has already allowed four sacks, matching the total he gave up all of last season. He’s also surrendered 10 pressures so far this season after allowing just 39 in 2025.
There is at least some reason for the Jets to avoid panicking too soon. Fashanu was slow out of the gate last season as well.
Over the first five weeks of the 2025 season, he gave up 18 pressures and struggled in pass protection before settling in from Week 5 on and flashing real upside. New York can point to that stretch and hope this is another early-season bump rather than a lasting problem.
Still, the stakes are real. 2026 is a key year for Fashanu because it will force the Jets into a decision on his fifth-year option this offseason. For a left tackle, that’s no small thing. The position carries a premium price tag, and players who can handle the blind side usually get paid.
That’s where the pressure shifts from the field to the front office. The Jets already have major contracts on the books, and there are other young players who will need to be paid too. They can’t keep everybody, which means Fashanu has to separate himself if he wants to be part of their long-term plan.
He still has time to turn this into the breakout season many expected, but the slow start can’t become a pattern. The Jets want to contend, and September losses add up fast.
Left tackle is too important to leave to guesswork, and New York needs proof that Fashanu can be the steady answer on the blind side. If he doesn’t rebound quickly, 2026 could decide everything about his future with the team.
In Other News...
Jets Suddenly Have A Bigger Breece Hall Problem
The Jets were already scrambling in Week 3 against the Lions without several key starters, and the injury list only grew from there. One of the biggest concerns came when Breece Hall went out with a thigh injury, forcing New York to adjust on the fly in a game where depth was already being tested.
Hall sounded unsure afterward about just how serious the issue might be, which is where the real concern starts for the Jets. Braelon Allen handled the lead-back role once Hall exited, but for a team trying to piece together its offense through injuries, any uncertainty around Hall carries obvious weight going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Campbell Just Gave Jets Fans A Reason To Reconsider Aaron Glenn
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Campbells endorsement carries some weight because of his history with Glenn, and it arrives at a time when the Jets are still sorting out what their present and future should look like under him. There has been visible progress from a roster that leaned on contributions from Geno Smith, Kenyon Sadiq and Garrett Wilson to stay competitive against a strong opponent, even if the final score again left room for frustration. The broader question now is whether the improvement around Glenn is enough to quiet the criticism, or whether the conversation around him will keep coming back to the same lingering issues. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Glenn Just Gave Jets Fans Their Most Encouraging Sign Yet
The Jets left Detroit with a loss, but there were clear signs of a team starting to look more organized under Aaron Glenn. Against a Lions squad that can overwhelm opponents, New York stayed competitive throughout a 31-24 defeat in Week 3, and the little details were better too. Situational awareness and clock management, both areas that have hurt this group before, were noticeably sharper even as the roster dealt with injuries and a talent gap.
Geno Smiths afternoon also offered a real reason for optimism. He completed 31 of 37 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns, giving the Jets the kind of efficient, productive quarterback play that can keep them in games if the rest of the operation continues to clean itself up. For a team still trying to establish Glenns standard, the result was disappointing, but the process looked more like progress than setback. [Read more 🡒]