The New York Jets set football back 60 years with an embarrassing loss to the Denver Broncos in London last Sunday. The offense managed just 82 total yards against Denver as Justin Fields took nine sacks and accounted for -11 net passing yards.
The last time the Jets embarrassed owner Woody Johnson in London the head coach got fired. Obviously it’s too early even for Johnson to fire Aaron Glenn. But it may not be an overreaction to believe his seat is warming up.
Glenn is off to an Adam Gasian 0-6 start in his debut with New York. It’s just the third time in the 65-year history of the team that the Jets are winless entering Week 7. The first two times it happened, the coach was fired. Of course, both Rich Kotite and Gase were in their second seasons when they got the ax.
Reasonable Jets fans recognize that there are bound to be growing pains for a first-time head coach – particularly when taking the helm of a comically inept franchise. But even the most optimistic fan must feel like the 2025 Jets season is a circle Dante missed in the Inferno.
The Jets went from a team that was a quarterback away from contending to a team that aspires to play meaningful games in October.
Needless to say, New York has abandoned all hope for the 2025 season. But while reaching the playoffs for the first time since the Obama administration is no longer a reality, there’s still work to be done.
New York must decide how to handle the November 4 NFL trade deadline.
Teams have been bombarding the Jets with calls, inquiring about players’ availability. And while it’s an unpleasant reminder that the team’s season is over, the deadline presents an opportunity to shape the future of the franchise.
Who should stay and who should go
The list of players the Jets should consider moving is extensive. But three players stand out as priority trade candidates for New York.
Back in July, before the start of training camp, we humbly suggested trading Alijah Vera-Tucker. The talented but injury-plagued guard is in the final year of his rookie contact after the Jets picked up his fifth-year option. It seemed unlikely that New York would extend AVT after he missed 25 games over his first four seasons. But he would have made for a nice trade chip.
That ship has obviously sailed, as Vera-Tucker suffered a season-ending injury prior to Week 1. But the Jets should be looking to move players on expiring contracts for draft capital where possible.
Andre, we hardly knew you
The Jets revamped the secondary over the offseason. Cornerback D.J. Reed’s departure was the most noteworthy change. But New York also lost safeties Ashtyn Davis, Chuck Clark and Jalen Mills.
The Jets replaced Reed with Brandon Stephens, who inked a three-year, $36 million contract with the team. Glenn and company then bolstered the defensive backfield by adding Andre Cisco on a one-year, $8.5 million deal.
The fifth-year safety has played well for the Jets. Cisco is second on the team with 32 total tackles. He also forced New York’s only turnover through six games.
Cisco is a strong run defender, earning a 78.4 grade from PFF (21st out of 141 safeties) and willing tackler. His veteran presence could be an asset to a contending team in need of help in the secondary.
Safety has been an unstable position for the Jets since the Jamal Adams days. However, it’s unlikely the team signs Cisco to a long-term deal after this season.
While Cisco is currently New York’s best safety in the Aaron Glenn/Steve Wilks hybrid system, the team has options to make it through the year. Rookie fourth-round pick Malachi Moore will get an extended look as a starter. And Isaiah Oliver or Robert Saleh fav Tony Adams can fill in for Cisco if the Jets are able to flip him for draft capital.
Slotted for success
Speaking of Robert Saleh favorites, Michael Carter II was the unsung hero of the Jets’ cornerback revival under the former head coach. With Reed and Sauce Gardner on the outside and Carter in the slot, New York’s pass defense went from 30th in the NFL in 2021 to third-best in 2022.
Carter graded out as a top 25 corner in 2022 and 2023 and was rewarded with a three-year, $30.75 million contract. But after a subpar season in 2024, the former fifth-round pick has struggled to find his footing in the Glenn/Wilks system. Carter’s also dealing with a concussion, though he returned to practice after Week 6 and should be back on the field soon.
The 26-year-old DB thrives in zone coverage and is capable of boosting a secondary if placed in the right scheme. Unfortunately, it’s become clear that Carter isn’t a good fit in the new regime’s defense. That point was driven home when the Jets acquired Jarvis Brownlee in a trade with the Tennessee Titans after Week 3.
Brownlee made his Jets debut in Week 6, drawing the start against Denver. The second-year pro appears to have supplanted Carter in the slot. And rookie third-rounder Azareye’H Thomas is waiting in the wings.
Glenn, a former NFL defensive back, hand-picked Stephens, Brownlee and Thomas to join Gardner in the secondary. Carter is the odd man out. So, it’s best for both sides to trade him at the deadline.
Time to shop Quincy
In a perfect world Quincy Williams would finish his career in New York and retire a Jet alongside his brother Quinnen. The All-Pro linebacker played a major role in the team’s defensive turnaround. The Jets had the 32nd-ranked overall defense in 2021 and improved to fourth-best in football the following year. The unit ranked third in Williams’ standout 2023 campaign.
It’s possible the Jets offer Quincy a long-term deal. But Williams is currently in the final year of his contract. And the team just signed fellow linebacker Jamien Sherwood to a three-year, $45 million extension.
New York may not want to invest that heavily in its linebackers. And Williams, who turns 30 next season, doesn’t exactly fit the youth movement Glenn initiated when he purged the roster of veterans after taking over.
However, the seventh-year pro is a difference maker on defense. Williams is known for his sideline-to-sideline speed and non-stop motor. He’s an elite coverage linebacker and strong run defender.
Williams landed on IR with a shoulder injury after Week 3’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But he’s expected to return when first eligible in Week 8. If the Jets don’t intend to re-sign him after the season, the team should shop him to contenders.
A brief word on Breece
The majority of Jets-related trade deadline rumors involve Breece Hall. In fact, speculation about a Hall trade started during the offseason when Glenn acknowledged his fondness for backup RBs Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis.
As we noted back in July, Hall is in the last year of his rookie deal. So it would make sense to move him if the Jets aren’t going to extend the former second-round pick. And after an 0-6 start, the team is very likely to consider a trade.
However, Hall is a Pro Bowl-caliber rusher with between-the-tackles power and game-breaking speed. He’s also an excellent receiver out of the backfield. Hall had 76 receptions, 1,585 total yards and nine touchdowns in 2023. He then managed to rack up 1,359 total yards with eight touchdowns in 2024's hurricane of dysfunction.
The Jets aren’t really sure what they have in Braelon Allen. And it doesn’t help that he’s currently on injured reserve with an MCL sprain.
If New York can somehow start a bidding war for Hall’s services, Glenn and Mougey would have to consider a trade. But letting Hall go for a Day 3 pick doesn’t seem worthwhile.
The offensive environment surrounding Hall throughout his career has been almost inconceivably bad. But it hasn’t stopped him from playing at an elite level. All due respect to Thomas Jones, Hall is the best Jets running back since Curtis Martin.
Hang on to Johnson
The other big name bandied about in Jets trade rumors is Jermaine Johnson. However, this should be a nonstarter for New York.
Every team in the league is looking for a young DE who can rush the quarterback and defend the run. And the Jets have one. So why give him away?
Johnson’s career was on the upswing when he made the Pro Bowl in his second season. He filled out the stat sheet with 7.5 sacks, 55 total tackles, eight stuffs, seven passes defended, a forced fumble, fumble recovery and an interception.
Of course, Johnson got derailed by a torn Achilles in 2024 but he’s working his way back to a Pro Bowl level. And he’s still on his rookie deal. The Jets exercised Johnson’s fifth-year option, keeping him in town through the 2026 season.
It’s difficult to find a Pro Bowl-caliber pass rusher in the NFL. Teams usually have to spend a high first-round draft pick on the position and hope the player develops. It’s exceedingly rare that such players become available via trade. Particularly when they’re only 26 years old and still on their rookie contracts.
