In their five-decade history, the Jets have exactly one glorious title and countless un-glorious moments. I can personally attest what you surely already know—that life as a New York Jets fan can be a deflating existence.
This is largely because Jets teams rarely ever meet preseason expectations, often determined by how the franchise approached free agency. The franchise has rotated through myriad front regimes and rebuilds over the years, and signed a slew of marquee free agents in the process. These usually do not go well. Here are the five worst.
This one hurts, because Revis was one of the best players in franchise history during his first run in New York. After stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New England Patriots, Revis’ return to the Jets was unfortunate. Somehow, he was able to pull a five-year, $70 million ($39 million guaranteed) deal out of the Jets in 2015. When the season began, his utter washed-ness was evident. Revis would be released two years into the deal.
4) Santonio Holmes
When the Pittsburgh Steelers cut Holmes one year after winning Super Bowl XLIII MVP, it should have been a warning sign for Rex Ryan and co. Not the case. New York traded a fifth-round pick for Holmes, then signed him to a massive five-year, $45 million deal ($24 million guaranteed) as a free agent in 2011. Holmes never eclipsed 750 yards in a season with Gang Green, then became a locker room cancer. He was cut after three seasons.
3) Trumaine Johnson
The Jets released Johnson this past March, after a disappointing two seasons in town. New York signed the cornerback to a five-year, $72 million deal in 2018 after six good years with the Rams. Johnson could never find a groove, and came under the ire of two different head coaches while recording just five interceptions during his tenure. He was benched by former head coach Todd Bowles for the final game of 2018, and was relegated to backup duty by Adam Gase for Weeks 2 and 3 in 2019.
2) Sam Cowart
The 2002 Cowart signing was misguided on numerous levels. The Jets could have re-signed linebacker James Farrior, but instead played hardball in negotiations and went with the fallback option, Cowart, who was familiar with defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell. Not only was Cowart not nearly as good as Farrior—who went on to have a storied career in Pittsburgh—but he was coming off a ruptured Achilles. The Jets still gave him a six-year, $31 million deal. He started three games in three years while in New York.
1) Neil O'Donnell
Like Holmes, O’Donnell came to the Jets fresh off an impressive run to the Super Bowl with the Steelers. At age 29 in 1996, the quarterback inked a five-year, $35 million contract to be the next Jets signal-caller. It was nothing short of a catastrophe. O’Donnell went 0-6 in the ’96 campaign (the Jets went 1-15), and was eventually cut after two seasons.
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