Author: Ben Levine

While Fields is plenty dynamic in the open field, as his 1,000-yard 2022 rushing season showcased, there are still natural question marks about his ability to guide an offense. Based on the contract he received, the Jets also seem to be setting themselves up for the 26-year-old to be a stopgap until they figure out a long-term answer at the position.

Elsewhere on offense, the Jets used their limited financial wiggle room to add some depth. Reynolds comes to New York following a disappointing 2024 campaign where he failed to top 200 offensive yards while splitting time with the Broncos and Jaguars (both teams cut the wideout in the past year). Before that, he was an occasional standout player with the Rams and Lions, and the Jets will be hoping they can get a similar showing out of him in 2025.

The team also added a pair of offensive linemen. Okorafor has gotten into 78 career games, including a stretch from 2020 to 2022 where he started all 33 of his appearances for Pittsburgh. Though, the longtime Steelers right tackle is coming off a season in which he left the Patriots one week into the 2024 season. Myers spent the past three seasons as the Packers starting center. He waged a monthslong competition with Joe Tippmann for the Jets’ job. The team did not reveal a winner before Week 1, with one of the 2024 starters set to be a swingman inside.

While the Jets didn’t take any big free agency swings on the defensive side of the ball, they may have uncovered a pair of starters in their secondary. Stephens comes to New York after spending the first four seasons of his career in Baltimore, where he started 48 games.

Stephens emerged as a starting outside corner in 2023 but took a step back this past year, when he was charged with four touchdowns allowed and a 106.1 passer rating yielded as the closest defender. Baltimore was not believed to be overly interested in re-signing the multiyear starter, who will be expected to work alongside Gardner and Michael Carter in New York. Williams’ ability to play both cornerback and safety should come in handy for a squad that needs some defensive depth.

The Jets also landed on Cisco, who emerged as a full-time starter for the Jaguars over the past few years. Cisco’s best two seasons came in 2022 and 2023, when he started all 30 games he appeared in and racked up 15 passes defensed and seven interceptions. Pro Football Focus also graded him as an above-average safety in each of those campaigns.

Both the counting stats and the advanced metrics indicated he took a step back in 2024, but attached to a one-year deal, the Jets are simply hoping he can soak up some snaps in 2025. Gang Green had made an 11th-hour push for Talanoa Hufanga, but former 49ers All-Pro stuck with his Broncos commitment. Cisco became a lower-cost option.

Finally, to top off their free agency additions, the Jets reunited with old friend Nick Folk. The veteran kicker still ranks second on the franchise’s all-time scoring list following a productive seven-year stint with the organization. He’s since bounced around a bit, spending time with the Buccaneers, Patriots, and Titans. He’s coming off a two-year stint in Tennessee where he paced the NFL with a 96.2 field goal percentage (53 for 55).

Re-signings:

• Jamien Sherwood, LB. Three years, $45MM ($30MM guaranteed)
• Isaiah Oliver, CB. One year, $2.5MM ($2.25MM guaranteed)
• Kene Nwangwu, RB. One year, $1.44MM ($550K guaranteed)

The Jets had a number of departures this offseason, but the new front office still made an effort to retain a handful of impending free agents. The most notable re-signing was Sherwood, who was rewarded for his breakout 2024 campaign with a substantial raise.

A former fifth-round pick, Sherwood mostly served as a backup and special-teamer to begin his career. He was inserted into the starting lineup for the 2024 campaign, following a C.J. Mosley injury, and proceeded to emerge as one of the Jets’ most dependable defenders.

Sherwood finished the campaign with 158 tackles (including a league-leading 98 solo stops), 10 tackles for loss, and a pair of sacks. He graded out as Pro Football Focus’ 18th-best linebacker among 84 qualifiers.

The Jets didn’t add a whole lot of positional depth this offseason, so Sherwood should continue starting next to Quincy Williams in 2025. Sherwood now earning more than twice what Williams — a 2023 first-team All-Pro — does present a rather interesting dynamic at linebacker.

Otherwise, the Jets re-signed depth pieces on both sides of the ball. Oliver joined the team last offseason and ended up having a significant role in the secondary, starting seven of his 17 appearances while getting into 50 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. He finished the campaign with 57 tackles and three passes defended, with the Jets using him in a variety of different roles (including free safety, wide cornerback, slot cornerback, and even defensive line). He’ll continue serving as a Swiss Army Knife for the Jets in 2025.

On offense, the team held onto Nwangwu, who was limited to only a pair of appearances during his first season in New York. A former All-Rookie Team selection and All-Pro special teamer, Nwangwu will likely see a ST and end-of-the-depth chart role for the Jets next season.

Notable losses:

• Davante Adams, WR (released)
• Chuck Clark, S
• Tyler Conklin, TE
• Malachi Corley, WR (waived)
• Javon Kinlaw, DL
• Jalen Mills, CB
• Thomas Morstead, P (released)
• Morgan Moses, T
• C.J. Mosley, LB (released)
• Haason Reddick, EDGE
• D.J. Reed, CB
• Aaron Rodgers, QB (released)
• Tyron Smith, OT (retired)
• Solomon Thomas, DL
• Jordan Travis, QB (retired)
• Greg Zuerlein, K (released)

Even before the Jets settled on their new general manager and head coach, Rodgers seemed destined to be playing elsewhere in 2025. So, it wasn’t a huge surprise when the organization ripped off the band-aid and ushered in a new offensive era for the franchise.

Rodgers’ addition ahead of the 2023 campaign was about the veteran’s savviness and Super Bowl-winning pedigree. In other words, even the organization was aware that the aging QB was showing some clear signs of decline during his final season in Green Bay. Rodgers’ Achilles injury only exacerbated those concerns, and while expectations were sky high in New York, the forecast for Rodgers was a bit more modest.

Hindsight is 20/20, but it wasn’t too surprising that the 41-year-old quarterback looked like a 41-year-old. The positives: Rodgers surpassed the counting stats from his final Packers season with 3,897 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. The negatives: his interception rate (1.9), touchdown rate (4.8), and success rate (43.9) were on-par with his final season in Green Bay vs. the two All-Pro seasons that preceded that fateful 2022 campaign.

Add in Rodgers’ demand for roster influence and his diva tendencies, and it only seemed natural that Rodgers would be cut this offseason. That ended up being the case, and the future Hall of Famer will now look to reboot his career in Pittsburgh.

Naturally, Rodgers’ departure had an influence on the rest of the roster. Adams’ brief Jets tenure ended with a respectable 854 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games. After acquiring the veteran receiver midway through the 2024 season, the Jets released him in March. Adams drew a two-year, $46MM Rams offer after his productive Jets stint.

Smith also had a one-season stay in the Meadowlands, and the oft-injured lineman started the first 10 games for the Jets before suffering a season-ending neck injury. The five-time All-Pro lineman decided to call it a career once the season ended. Conklin and Moses also had significant roles for the 2024 Jets, and the front office watched as the two veterans signed elsewhere this offseason.

Those departures also applied to the defense. Mosley was one of the longest-tenured Jets on the 2024 roster, and it was assumed he’d continue to lead the defense after averaging 159.3 tackles a year between 2021 and 2023. Unfortunately, toe and neck injuries limited him to only four appearances in 2024, and the linebacker ultimately decided to retire.

Mosley wasn’t the only veteran defender who won’t return in 2025. The team said goodbye to cornerback Reed, Kinlaw, Clark and Mills, a grouping that combined for 51 starts last season.

Reed had a steady stint with the Jets, starting all 46 of his appearances while compiling 220 tackles and 32 passes defended. He had long been expected to depart, as the Jets had extended Carter while preparing for a Gardner payday. The Gardner boundary sidekick signed a three-year, $48MM Lions deal.

Kinlaw had 4.5 sacks during his one and only season with the franchise, rejoining Saleh. The former 49ers first-round pick reunited with ex-San Francisco staffer Adam Peters in Washington this offseason. Clark and Mills had 113 combined stops during their debut seasons with the Jets.

The team even lost some notable depth pieces on that side of the ball, including Reddick, who followed up his 50.5-sack run between 2020 and 2023 with a one-sack showing in 2024. Reddick’s unsuccessful holdout cost him dearly, and the former Super Bowl starter settled for a one-year Buccaneers deal following a disastrous Jets stay — one that cost Gang Green a third-round pick for little in return.

The changes even touched special teams. Zuerlein had one of the best seasons of his career with the Jets in 2023, but he converted only nine of his 15 field goal attempts in eight games in 2024. Morstead also had one of the most productive seasons of his career with the Jets in 2023, although his numbers took a step back in 2024.

Rodgers’ departure was always going to have a chain reaction on the rest of the roster, although perhaps we didn’t expect a roster makeover to this extent. The Jets can hang their hat on replacing aging veterans with more youth and athleticism, although that pivot will also reduce the ceiling (and perhaps the floor) for the 2025 version of the team.

Trades:

• Acquired DT Jowon Briggs, 2026 seventh-round pick from the Browns for a 2026 sixth-rounder
• Acquired DL Harrison Phillips, 2027 seventh-round pick from the Vikings for a 2026, 2027 sixth-round picks
• Dealt DT Derrick Nnadi, conditional 2027 seventh-round pick to Chiefs for a conditional 2027 sixth-round pick

The Jets weren’t particularly active in the trade market before making a handful of late-August deals to shake up their defensive line depth. The most notable move was trading for Phillips . The veteran transformed from a part-time player in Buffalo into a full-time starter in Minnesota, where he didn’t miss a game after joining the organization ahead of the 2022 season.

Phillips put up modest stats during his stint with the Vikings, averaging 69 tackles and two sacks per season. Pro Football Focus generally ranked him as a below-average interior defender during his Minnesota stint, with the site generally preferring his pass-rush ability to his run-stopping skills. Phillips, 29, is tied to a two-year, $15MM deal.

He’ll provide a consistent (albeit perhaps limited) option for the Jets in the middle of the defensive line. For additional depth, the Jets added Briggs — a 2024 seventh-round pick who got into six games as a backup with the Browns in 2024.

The team wasn’t done, as it also made a move to clear some defensive line depth. After adding longtime Chiefs defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi this offseason, the team immediately traded him back to Kansas City. For their efforts, the Jets received a swap of conditional sixth- and seventh-round picks in 2027.

Draft:

• Round 1, No. 7: Armand Membou (T, Missouri)
• Round 2, No. 42: Mason Taylor (TE, LSU)
• Round 3, No. 73: Azareye’h Thomas (CB, Florida State)
• Round 4, No. 110: Arian Smith (WR, Georgia)
• Round 4, No. 130 (from Lions through Broncos and Eagles): Malachi Moore (S, Alabama)
• Round 5, No. 162 (from Rams through Steelers): Francisco Mauigoa (LB, Miami)
• Round 6, No. 176 (from Ravens): Tyler Baron (DE, Miami)

While the Jets reasonably could have gone in a variety of directions with the seventh overall pick, the front office may have settled on the safest option still on the board in Membou. The prospect is coming off a three-year stint as a starter in the SEC, and scouts generally believe that his athleticism will help him succeed as a professional.

With 2024 first-round pick Olu Fashanu positioned on the other side of the line, the Jets are hoping they found the leaders of their tackle room for years to come. Membou will be ticketed to start in Week 1, which Fashanu did not do to open his career. After using Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses as 2024 stopgaps, the Jets are turning to hopeful long-term blockers to start this season.

The team continued adding to its offense in the second round, snagging Taylor. The 6-foot-5 prospect showed offensive promise in college, averaging 10.1 yards per catch on his 129 receptions. The rookie should have an open path to significant playing time in New York.

Even if he just temporarily serves as a hulking red zone target, the Jets — who had relied on free agent Tyler Conklin at tight end for the better part of the past three seasons — are confident that they can pencil Taylor in atop the depth chart for the foreseeable future.

The rest of the Jets’ draft class should see part-time roles for the organization in 2025. Thomas brings plenty of promise in the secondary and could be the team’s first option if any of the starters are knocked out of the lineup, while fourth-round receiver Smit could work his way into a role after a 2024 campaign where he hauled in 817 yards at Georgia.

Other:

• Exercised fifth-year options for CB Sauce Gardner, WR Garrett Wilson, DE Jermaine Johnson
• Agreed to restructured contract with Allen Lazard following failed trade talks

The Jets’ decision to pick up the fifth-year options on Gardner and Wilson preceded the two players’ extensions, but there was another member of the 2022 first round who is still attached to their rookie pact.

Johnson showed flashes as a sophomore, compiling 7.5 sacks and 16 QB hits. He was expected to anchor the defensive line in 2024. A torn Achilles tendon in Week 2, however, ended his season early. That promise from the 2023 campaign was enough for the Jets to pick up the defender’s fifth-year option, but the front office will surely want to see him play in 2025 before they consider a long-term agreement.

Surprisingly, one of Aaron Rodgers‘ friends is still sticking around. Lazard appeared to be an obvious release or trade candidate following a disappointing two-year stint in New York. The team allowed the veteran receiver to seek a trade, but when nothing materialized, both sides had to figure out a resolution.

Ultimately, the Jets kept Lazard on the roster, but the veteran was required to accept an $8.5MM pay cut. Now, he’ll provide some veteran leadership to a depth chart that may be leaning on a handful of younger players in 2025. The Jets do appear shorthanded beyond Wilson at receiver, but the team has avoided a notable investment in a sidekick option for months.

Top 10 cap charges for 2025:

1. Quinnen Williams, DT: $21.58MM
2. Alijah Vera-Tucker, G: $15.31MM
3. Sauce Gardner, CB: $9.37MM
4. Quincy Williams, LB: $8.42MM
5. Justin Fields, QB: $8.00MM
6. Garrett Wilson, WR: $7.03MM
7. Tyrod Taylor, QB: $6.80MM
8. John Simpson, G: $6.69MM
9. Armand Membou, OT: $5.80MM
10. Jamien Sherwood, LB: $5.00MM

The best-case scenario for the Jets in 2025 is probably a near-winning record. Sure, this is a far cry from their expectations heading into the 2024 season, but it would also represent some reasons for optimism about the new leadership.

Perhaps the true best-case scenario for the Jets is an eventual recognition that they’re not positioned to compete in 2025, allowing them to evaluate younger pieces while pushing for a top QB prospect in next year’s draft. If the Jets do end up being middling (vs. downright bad), it’d be hard to see where the organization is ultimately heading beyond the upcoming season.