New York Jets News & Rumors

Jets Still Committed To Justin Fields As Starting QB

Justin Fields was absent from Week 3 while recovering from a concussion. Head coach Aaron Glenn made it clear at the time, however, that the starting gig would be his upon return.

Indeed, Fields has led New York’s offense since he came back in Week 4. Things have largely not gone according to plan with the free agent signing in the lineup, though, and that was especially the case on Sunday. During the Jets’ loss to the Broncos in London, Fields amassed just 45 passing yards while being sacked nine times.

Following the Jets’ 13-11 loss, Glenn was asked whether or not a quarterback change is being considered. Benching Fields – who inked a two-year deal this spring containing $30MM guaranteed – would result in veteran Tyrod Taylor taking over. Once again, Glenn offered a reply stating Fields will remain atop the depth chart at this point.

“There’s a number of guys that, you know, I mean, sometimes this league is like this,” Glenn said when asked if Fields will be benched (video link via SNY). “There are guys that have bad games. That doesn’t mean you just bench him.”

Across his four games with the Jets this year, Fields has completed 67% of his attempts while posting a passer rating of 100.1. Both of those marks are career bests. The 26-year-old has also matched his personal watermark with an average of 7.1 yards per attempt, and he has yet to throw an interception. With an additional 204 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, it is easy to see the appeal of keeping Fields in place moving forward. The former Bear and Steeler is already owed $10MM in guaranteed salary for next year, something which adds further to the upside of maintaining the current depth chart from Glenn’s perspective.

Taylor has been with the Jets since last season. During that time, he has made just four appearances and one start (while Fields was sidelined). The 36-year-old is a pending free agent, so any extended run as QB1 would of course be key in determining his market value next spring. For now, at least, Taylor should not be expected to take over.

Glenn and the Jets fell to 0-6 with today’s loss. As such, New York is expected to operate as a seller ahead of next month’s trade deadline. No quarterback moves are anticipated in that respect, but by the time the second half of the campaign begins it will be interesting to see if Fields is still viewed as the team’s starter.

Chargers Interested In Trading For Running Back

OCT. 12: The Chargers are indeed focusing on running backs leading up to the deadline, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com. They’ve been calling teams about depth RBs and starters.

OCT. 11: With injuries ravaging their backfield, the Chargers could swing a trade for a running back before the Nov. 4 deadline, Daniel Popper of The Athletic writes.

The Chargers entered the season with two high-profile acquisitions leading their RB group. After opening his career with four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons with the Steelers, Najee Harris joined the Chargers on a one-year, $5.25MM deal last March. A little over a month after adding Harris, the Chargers used their first-round pick (No. 22) on former North Carolina back Omarion Hampton. Five weeks into the season, it’s fair to say the Chargers aren’t going to get max return on either investment this year.

Harris suffered an eye injury during a fireworks accident in July, but he was ready for their season-opening win over the Chiefs in Brazil on Sept. 5. The 27-year-old picked up just one carry in that game, though. Two weeks later, Harris tore his Achilles, ending his season after he recorded 15 carries for 61 yards. Barring another pact with the Chargers, Harris will head back to the open market next year in a less-than-ideal position.

Even when Harris was healthy, Hampton was clearly the Chargers’ No. 1 back. The 22-year-old dual threat has amassed 66 rushes for 314 yards and two touchdowns through the first five games of his career, adding 20 catches for another 136 yards.

Like Harris, Hampton is now on the shelf. He injured his ankle during a loss to the Commanders last Sunday, which forced an IR placement earlier this week. He’ll miss at least four games, all of which will take place before the trade deadline.

The Chargers, now 3-2 after back-to-back losses, will turn to the unproven RB duo of Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal for the time being. They’ll face their first test as a tandem against the reeling Dolphins (1-4) on Sunday. Haskins has tallied just 64 carries, including five this year, in parts of three NFL seasons. Vidal has four attempts this season and 47 overall since he joined the Chargers as a sixth-round pick from Troy a year ago.

The Chargers have Nyheim Hines and Amar Johnson on their practice squad, though they’re hard to rely on at this point. Hines, who tore his ACL in a jet ski accident in 2023, hasn’t played in a regular-season game since 2022. Johnson is an undrafted rookie from South Dakota State with no NFL experience.

Unless the Chargers find an answer from within by the deadline, the Jets’ Breece Hall and the Browns’ Jerome Ford could be logical trade targets to team with Hampton (assuming he returns), Popper observes. Hall has gotten off to an impressive start this season and has made it known he wants to stay with the Jets. However, with the Jets 0-5 and unlikely to make a miraculous charge toward playoff contention, they could part with the soon-to-be free agent.

Ford, also due to reach the open market in the offseason, enjoyed a productive run from 2023-24. He piled up 1,378 yards and seven TDs on 308 carries during that 31-game span. The 26-year-old only has 18 carries in five games this season, though, with rookie second-rounder Quinshon Judkins establishing himself as the lead back in Cleveland. Ford’s time with the Browns could be winding down, and the Chargers may be among the potential suitors.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/11/25

Here are the minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations heading into the sixth Sunday of the NFL season:

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Manu was ruled out for this week with a knee injury after making the first start of his career with Detroit. Unfortunately, he’ll miss the team’s next three games, as well, after being placed on injured reserve.

Wright will fill in as placekicker for the Titans in Week 6. Regular kicker Joey Slye has been ruled out with a calf injury after missing practice all week.

Avery in Cleveland and Walton in Carolina are both being called up as standard gameday practice squad elevations for the third time this year. If either of their respective teams want them to be active for another game, they will need to sign them to the 53-man roster.

RB Breece Hall Hopes To Remain With Jets

Dating back to the offseason, Breece Hall has been attached to trade rumors. As the 2025 deadline approaches, it remains to be seen if the fourth-year running back will stay in place with the Jets.

Hall is a pending free agent, and it has been clear since the summer an extension is not expected. As a result, he looms as a trade candidate particularly if the 0-5 Jets are unable to rebound from their poor start to the season. If the 24-year-old has his way, though, no trade will be made.

“This is my fifth month dealing with this now,” Hall said when speaking to the media (h/t Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). “At this point, it is what it is. I’m here. I want to be here. I love being a New York Jet and everything. At the end of the day, I don’t control what goes on, I only control what I do on the field and how I handle my business off the field.”

Hall averaged 5.8 yards per carry as a rookie before suffering an ACL tear. The former second-rounder managed to avoid major injuries in the two subsequent years, surpassing 1,300 scrimmage yards both times. His efficiency fell short of his pre-injury campaign, leading to questions about the chances of Hall returning to his rookie form. That has essentially taken place in 2025, however.

The Iowa State product is averaging 70 yards per game on the ground this year, the highest total of his career. Hall has surpassed 100 scrimmage yards three times early in the current campaign, and he figures to remain a focal point in the backfield moving forward with Braelon Allen sidelined. Still, rumors about a trade ahead of the deadline could persist depending on how the next few weeks play out.

New head coach Aaron Glenn assured Hall a trade was not being pursued after the draft; that could offer a degree of comfort regarding his near-term future. On the other hand, a different regime is in place (led by Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey) than the one which selected Hall in 2022. That will no doubt be a factor when the matter of a trade is considered.

If the Jets decide to keep Hall in the fold beyond next month’s deadline, it will be interesting to see how contract talks are handled. The running back market contains nine players attached to an AAV of $10MM or more. Hall will no doubt look to reach that figure on his second contract, but it is unclear which team it will come from.

Traded Draft Picks For 2026

Many months remain before teams know where they are picking in the 2026 draft, but many clubs have made moves to acquire 2026 draft capital. Headlined by the Browns, Rams and Cowboys’ efforts, here are the 2026 picks to have changed hands thus far. When more deals involving picks are made (or conditions on moves already completed become known), that information will be added.

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Jets Open Practice Window For UDFA LB Ja’Markis Weston

Jets linebacker Ja’Markis Weston will return to practice this week after starting the season on injured reserve, per Brian Costello of the New York Post.

That will start Weston’s 21-day practice window to be activated to the 53-man roster or revert to season-ending IR.

Weston, 25, signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent in May. He received $200k in guaranteed money, indicating that he had a legitimate shot to make the 53-man roster. However, an ankle injury in the Jets’ last preseason game forced him onto IR, sidelining him for at least the first four games of the regular season.

Weston’s return to practice comes two weeks after the team placed starting linebacker Quincy Williams on IR. Fifth-round rookie Francisco Mauigoa has started the last two games in Williams’ place next to Jamien Sherwood.

Weston, a Florida product, started his collegiate career as a wide receiver before moving to safety in his third season. He converted to defensive end in his fifth and final season and will now play linebacker in the pros.

Transitioning to the NFL as an off-ball linebacker is difficult enough, so Weston’s lack of experience at the position may keep him in a special teams role once he is back on the field. Even if he gets up to speed quickly, Williams could be back from IR in as few as two weeks, which will continue to limit Weston’s defensive snaps. It would likely take some additional linebacker injuries in New York to give Weston any kind of role on defense once he is ready to play.

Jets’ Breece Hall, Alijah Vera-Tucker Could Draw Trade Interest

Sunday’s loss dropped the Jets to 0-5 on the season. As the new regime led by general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn approaches its first trade deadline, a seller’s stance would certainly come as no surprise.

Provided New York shows a willingness to move on from one or more players over the coming weeks, a few notable names could be mentioned rather frequently in the near future. Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports reports the Jets are among the teams viewed as likely sellers ahead of the deadline. Colleague Eric Williams adds guard Alijah Vera-Tucker is a potential trade candidate.

Vera-Tucker suffered a triceps tear shortly before the start of the regular season. He is out for the campaign as a result, adding further to the injury woes the former first-rounder has dealt with. After playing just 12 games between the 2022 and ’23 campaigns, Vera-Tucker managed to log 15 appearances last season. Given his latest major ailment, though, suitors would not be acquiring the 26-year-old as a blocker capable of contributing this season.

Vera-Tucker is currently attached to his fifth-year option, which carries a salary of $15.31MM for 2025. Paying out the remainder of that figure for a player who continues to rehab could of course be a tall task for an acquiring team. Still, if a suitor viewed the USC product as the target of a deal beyond 2025, acquiring him via trade would prevent the need to win a bidding war in free agency. Likewise, the Jets would be in line for 2026 draft compensation through trade as opposed to a 2027 compensatory pick in the event of a departure on the open market next spring.

Elsewhere on the Jets’ roster, running back Breece Hall is still the subject of speculation regarding a trade. Glenn assured the 24-year-old he would not be dealt this past offseason, but as of August a swap remained something to watch for as the campaign unfolded. Given the start to the season, the Jets are not in contention for a playoff berth. That could increase Mougey’s willingness to swing a deal, although moving on from Hall – who is playing out the final year of his rookie contract – would leave the Jets thin in the backfield given Braelon Allen‘s long-term knee injury.

ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes New York has provided “no indication” Hall is being shopped. A deal allowing him to remain with the Jets could of course still be possible after the campaign, although with a regime other than the one which drafted the former second-rounder now in place, a departure would not be entirely surprising. Hall has yet to score a touchdown this season, but he has averaged an impressive six yards per touch, the highest figure in that regard since his rookie campaign.

The 2025 trade deadline falls on the afternoon of November 4. Plenty of time remains for key decisions to be made until that point, but the Jets could field offers on a number of players over the coming weeks.

Jets Sign Isaiah Williams To Practice Squad

New York Jets

After waiving him over the weekend, the Jets are quickly reuniting with Williams. The 24-year-old committed a costly turnover in a loss to the Dolphins last Monday when he fumbled the opening kickoff return of the second half. He later opted to fair catch a punt at the Jets’ 3-yard line in the fourth quarter. The Jets opened the season with Xavier Gipson as their returner, but they cut him after a Week 1 fumble in a loss to the Steelers. With Isaiah Williams and Gipson unable to hold down the job, Avery Williams handled return duties in the Jets’ loss to the Cowboys on Sunday. He avoided fumbles while averaging 26.6 yards on five kickoff returns and 10.3 yards on four punt runbacks.

2025 Injured Reserve Return Tracker

The 2024 offseason brought a change in how teams could construct their 53-man rosters while retaining flexibility with injured players. Clubs were permitted to attach return designations to two players (in total) placed on IR or an NFI list before setting their initial rosters.

In prior years, anyone placed on IR before a team set its initial 53-man roster could not be activated in-season. All August 26 IR- or NFI-return designations, however, already count against teams’ regular-season limit of eight. Teams will be tasked with determining which players injured in-season will factor into activation puzzles as the year progresses.

All players designated for return on August 26 are eligible to be activated beginning in Week 5, though any player placed on IR after a team set its initial 53 has not been designated for return and therefore does not yet count toward a club’s eight-activation limit. Playoff teams will receive two additional injury activations at that point.

Here is how the 32 teams’ activation puzzles look for Week 6:

Arizona Cardinals

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Atlanta Falcons

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Baltimore Ravens

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 6

Buffalo Bills

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 6

Carolina Panthers

Designated for return:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Chicago Bears

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Cincinnati Bengals

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Cleveland Browns

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 7

Dallas Cowboys

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Denver Broncos

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Detroit Lions

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 8

Green Bay Packers

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Houston Texans

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 7

Indianapolis Colts

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 7

Jacksonville Jaguars

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 7

Kansas City Chiefs

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 6

Las Vegas Raiders

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 7

Los Angeles Chargers

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Los Angeles Rams

Activations remaining: 8

Miami Dolphins

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Minnesota Vikings

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

New England Patriots

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 7

New Orleans Saints

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

New York Giants

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 7

New York Jets

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 7

Philadelphia Eagles

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 7

Pittsburgh Steelers

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 7

San Francisco 49ers

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 7

Seattle Seahawks

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 7

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Activations remaining: 8

Tennessee Titans

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Washington Commanders

Activations remaining: 8

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/4/25

Here are Week 5’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

New York Giants

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Huntley will be on hand to back up backup quarterback Cooper Rush in Baltimore tomorrow against the Texans. Okoye is called up for the second week in a row as injuries continue to hamper the Ravens’ defensive line, as well.

With some continuing injuries causing some concern in the secondary, the Browns will elevate Avery and Jones for the second straight week. Jones is being elevated for the third time this season, meaning that if Cleveland wants to see him in another game this year, the team will need to sign him to the active roster. The same is true for Logue in Buffalo, Hewitt with the Giants, Clark with the Jets, and Pili in Seattle.

Arnette’s promotion means Week 5 will mark his first regular season action in the NFL since the end of his Raiders tenure in 2021. The former first-round pick revived his career in part through his performances in the UFL this spring, something which created interest from multiple teams in free agency. Arnette, 29, will look to use tomorrow’s contest in a bid to land a permanent role in Houston.

This is the second time the Jets have parted ways with a kick returner following a game in which they had a costly fumble. Williams follows in footsteps of Xavier Gipson, who was waived following a similar mistake in the team’s season opener. There appears to be a pretty short leash for young returners in New York at the moment.