The Jets enter 2026 with a short runway and no shortage of pressure. After another last-place finish - their seventh in 10 seasons - Aaron Glenn is trying to steer the team out of the same old rut in his second year on the sideline. The bar is not especially high, but it is very real: avoid the cellar again and get this team moving toward .500.
That makes training camp battles more than just summer theater. For a roster coming off a 3-14 season, nothing feels settled, and even players who look locked in can find themselves sweating if Glenn sees enough from the backups.
Geno Smith is expected to give the Jets better quarterback play than Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor did a year ago, and the veteran’s track record gives them reason to believe. Smith, who began his NFL career with the Jets, spent four years in New York before moving on to four other teams.
He didn’t solve the Raiders’ problems last season, but his three years with Seattle were strong, including Pro Bowl seasons in 2022 and 2023. His 2024 line - 407 completions on 578 attempts for 4,320 yards, 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions - stands out as his best work.
Rookie Cade Klubnik is pushing him in camp, but Smith should keep the job if he stays healthy.
Elsewhere, the Jets have at least a couple of first-stringers who are not as secure as they might seem. Andre Cisco is listed as the starter at free safety next to Minkah Fitzpatrick, but he is on shaky ground.
Cisco arrived from the Jacksonville Jaguars after four seasons there and produced just 41 tackles, one pass defensed and one fumble recovery in eight games last year before his season ended with a torn pectoral muscle and shoulder injury. He has not made much noise in camp, and Dane Belton has put real heat on him.
Belton, who spent his first four seasons with the Giants, is coming off a 120-tackle season with one interception, five passes defensed, three forced fumbles and 2.0 sacks, and he has looked sharp enough in camp to threaten for the starting spot.
Cornerback could also get interesting. Nahshon Wright signed with the Jets after a productive year with the Chicago Bears, where he picked off five passes, returned one for a touchdown, added 80 tackles and broke up 11 passes while starting 16 games.
But he is learning a new system, and second-year corner Azareye'h Thomas is making his own case. Glenn has already said he likes Thomas’ physical play, which is the kind of praise that can make a veteran start looking over his shoulder.
At tight end, the Jets are leaning on Tyler Taylor for now, but first-round pick Sadiq is the bigger long-term bet. The team used that premium selection because it believes he can become a potential superstar after a standout college career at Oregon.
Sadiq had core muscle and hernia surgery in May and is still working back, though there is a chance he could be ready for the opener at Tennessee. Even if he is active that soon, it may take a few weeks before he is all the way back.
Taylor caught 44 passes for 369 yards and a touchdown last season and should remain a useful piece, but Sadiq’s talent gives the Jets a difficult decision as the year goes on.
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Jets Fans Should Be Concerned About Jarvis Brownlee's Camp Role
Jarvis Brownlee entered Jets training camp with a chance to carve out a real role in a secondary that always demands depth, but the early signs have not been encouraging. Reports from camp have him struggling in coverage, and the coaching staff appears to be sorting through a crowded cornerback picture with several players now sitting ahead of him at both outside and slot spots.
The most telling part is how little wiggle room there may be if the roster stays healthy. Brownlee is still in the mix, but his path to meaningful snaps looks narrow right now, with his work potentially confined to specific dime looks unless injuries create an opening. For a defense that leans on its corners, that is not the kind of camp momentum he wanted. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Fans Finally Have A Real Reason To Believe Again
After a miserable 2025 season, the Jets at least gave their fan base something tangible to hang onto this offseason. Pro Football Focus singled out New Yorks 2026 draft class as a real source of optimism, pointing to a group that includes cornerback DAngelo Ponds and defensive player David Bailey as prospects who could help sooner rather than later.
It is still a long way from proving anything, and the broader expectation around the league is that the Jets will continue to have their share of problems in 2026. But after another year of frustration, the combination of offseason additions and a draft class with some real upside gives the roster a different kind of feel, one that suggests improvement may finally be more than wishful thinking. [Read more 🡒]