With the Jets sitting at 2-6 and heading into Sunday’s trip to face the Kansas City Chiefs, the trade deadline is looking less like a chance to buy and more like a test of how far New York wants to lean into the future.
That future already has some shape to it. Last season, the Jets moved Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts and Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys, bringing back picks that are expected to matter in 2027. Right now, New York would hold three selections inside the first 10 picks of April’s draft.
So the question becomes simple enough, even if the answer is not: does the team keep stockpiling draft capital for 2027 in the hope of landing a quarterback and adding more young pieces to a new core?
One name in the middle of that conversation is Will McDonald IV. The 2023 first-round pick broke out with 10.5 sacks in his second season, but he has been used less in Aaron Glenn’s system.
Tony Pauline reported that Glenn’s future is now part of the equation for general manager Darren Mougey as he weighs whether to sell at the deadline. The Jets, according to Pauline, want to keep young players such as McDonald on the roster because they could also be attractive to a new head coaching candidate if Glenn is fired.
That makes McDonald a tricky asset. New York would only move him if the return was bigger than what most around the league believe he is worth, with the extra draft capital serving as part of the appeal for a coaching candidate.
Pauline also said the Jets know Glenn is not using McDonald properly, which has only fueled the idea that the organization could be preparing for a change before the 2027 season. Pauline believes Glenn has a 1% chance of coaching the team next season.
At the center of all this is a deadline strategy that is not just about improving the roster or loading up for the future. The Jets also want to hold onto young talent that would make sense to a new coach, not simply for wins now or for culture reasons, but because that core may help sell the next regime on New York.
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Across the league, the Eagles have already been forced into a quarterback change after a rough start, a reminder of how quickly things can unravel when the position is unsettled. Tanner McKees stint as the starter never got off the ground, and the move in Philadelphia only makes the Jets patience with Smith look smarter from every angle. [Read more 🡒]
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Breece Hall Just Turned Jets Fans Into A Bigger Problem
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Hall is expected back against the Kansas City Chiefs, which should give the Jets another dynamic option as they try to steady a season that has already become a grind. But the bigger issue now is the temperature around one of their most important players, and how quickly frustration has spilled into a much uglier place. For a team already searching for answers, getting Hall back is only part of the story. [Read more 🡒]