The Jets came out of Week 3 with another loss, but the bigger conversation may be shifting away from the scoreboard and toward what they found at tight end.
Kenyon Sadiq, the rookie and former Oregon standout, flashed in a major way against the Lions. For a New York offense that has already had stretches where it could have used more from that spot, Sunday put Sadiq’s upside right in the spotlight. And that kind of breakout doesn’t just help the Jets in the moment - it also complicates things for Mason Taylor.
Taylor has been out with an injury and has appeared in only the Jets’ Week 1 win over the Tennessee Titans. When he’s ready to return, the team will have a real decision to sort through, because Sadiq’s performance raised the stakes for everybody involved.
“Sadiq’s breakout does leave us with more questions than answers. What happens when Mitchell is healthy?
What happens when Mason Taylor actually plays? What happens when he plays a secondary full of players with a major NFL contract in their future instead of the replacement-level guys the Lions called in to surround DJ Reed?
But he looked talented enough that it will be hard to stuff the entire genie back in the bottle,” Rivers McCown of NBC Sports wrote.
Taylor, a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is the son of NFL legend Jason Taylor, who starred with the Miami Dolphins back in the day. He’s already shown some promising signs in his first two seasons with New York, including 369 yards in 13 games last year, and injuries have been part of the story. Still, the Jets clearly see enough to believe he can become a real piece for them down the line.
In Other News...
Rex Ryan Just Gave Jets Fans A New Reason To Fume
The Jets already had enough to sort through after the loss to the Lions, but Rex Ryan added another layer of noise when he went on ESPN Radio and took aim at left tackle Olu Fashanu. Ryan said he was disappointed in Fashanus performance, a pointed critique after a game in which the young tackle allowed multiple sacks and pressures while New Yorks offense struggled to keep things together.
What makes the reaction even more awkward is the family tie inside the building, with Rexs son, Seth Ryan, serving as the Jets passing game coordinator. Neither Fashanu nor Seth Ryan had responded to the comments as of publication, leaving the criticism hanging over a team that could have done without another public distraction so soon after the defeat. [Read more 🡒]
Jets May Have A Jamien Sherwood Problem They Can't Easily Fix
Jamien Sherwood has become one of the more complicated names on the Jets defense, because his role and his results no longer line up cleanly. A team captain who received a significant contract extension, Sherwood was supposed to be part of the solution in the middle of the defense, but coverage has been a problem through the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
The concern sharpened in the recent game against the Lions, when Sherwood allowed 9 catches on 10 targets for 127 yards. The issue for the Jets is not just that he has been exposed in space, it is that the roster does not offer many obvious defensive alternatives if they decide they need to look elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Finally Have Their Kicker After An Unsettled Start
After a shaky opening stretch at kicker, the Jets have settled on Jason Sanders, moving him from the practice squad to the active roster and cutting Blake Grupe. Sanders had already been elevated three times and handled the job well through the first three games, giving the team a steadier answer at a spot that has been unsettled since the season began.
Grupe never got into a game for New York before being waived, leaving Sanders as the latest attempt to bring some stability to special teams. For a Jets team looking to avoid self-inflicted problems, simply finding a reliable kicker is a small but meaningful step, and this move suggests the club is ready to stop auditioning and start sticking with one option. [Read more 🡒]