NFL Notebook: 2025 New York Jets Preview

The Jets haven’t had a winning season since 2015, and that’s been their only plus-.500 year since the last playoff year, all the way back in 2010, when the Rex Ryan era was still in its optimistic infancy. Aaron Glenn, a former cornerback here and most recently the defensive coordinator in Detroit, will be the latest head coach to get his chance at turning the ship around.

FIELDS OF GREEN

Whether that turnaround happens this season depends on the play of Justin Fields at quarterback. The Bears gave up on the former first-round pick. Fields was the backup to Russell Wilson in Pittsburgh last year, and went 4-2 in six starts, but the Steelers opted to sign Aaron Rodgers—completing what effectively amounted to a quarterback swap with the Jets.

Fields learned to clean up mistakes during his time in Pittsburgh and played efficient football, even if big plays were missing. He’s got a decent offensive line to operate behind. The New York front is solid on the interior and they used a first-round pick to shore up one of the tackle spots with Armand Membou.

Garrett Wilson is a quality target, and Breece Hall is a reliable running back. While it would be a stretch to say the Jets are stacked on offense, there’s enough here to be an upper-half-of-the-league offense, so long as Fields can finally come into his own.

DEFENSIVE PROBLEMS LOOMING

Where Glenn faces a major challenge is in his defensive specialty. The defensive front four has a solid tackle in Quinnen Williams, but problems elsewhere. While Will McDonald IV gets his sacks, the defensive end grades out poorly over at Pro Football Focus for his overall play.

Jamien Sherwood is a respectable middle linebacker, and the same goes for Sauce Gardner at corner. But there are still holes in the back seven. The combination of extensive holes and no real superstars is a big problem that Glenn will have to get figured out.

SEASON OUTLOOK

The betting markets are pessimistic on the Jets, with the Over/Under for wins set at 6.5. I’ve always liked Fields, but I find it hard to disagree. For one, it’s unlikely the Steelers are that wrong about him, which means he’s at best a competent game manager. And even in that best-case scenario, it won’t be enough to overcome a defense that needs an overhaul. Glenn needs another year and another infusion of talent before we can really judge him as a head coach.