Jermaine Johnson Sought New York Exit; More Joe Douglas-Era Jets Available?
Aaron Glenn confirmed previous suspicions that he will be calling plays on defense this season. The Jets’ second-year coach indicated (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) that will be case, with new DC hire Brian Duker being in place as a game-planning lieutenant. This offseason change probably helped influence today’s Jermaine Johnson–T’Vondre Sweat trade.
Johnson is reuniting with Robert Saleh in Tennessee. He follows Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams as Joe Douglas-era defensive pillars shipped out via trade since deadline day. Unlike Gardner and Williams, Johnson remains on his rookie contract.
One season, a fifth-year option the Jets exercised in 2025, remains on Johnson’s deal. While Johnson stands to be a better scheme fit with the Titans, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes he had quietly sought a New York exit. This came after a report a 2026 Jets extension was unlikely.
A Nashville reunion with Saleh was one of Johnson’s preferred destinations, per Fowler. The Titans will be running Saleh’s scheme, which has included a 4-3 alignment in San Francisco and New York, while the Jets will be transitioning to a 3-4 look as Glenn takes the reins on defense, SNY’s Connor Hughes notes. Sweat will certainly be a better fit as a 3-4 nose in New York; he served in that capacity for the past two seasons in Tennessee.
As Johnson joined Williams in seeking a Jets exit, Sweat was falling out of favor in Tennessee. Sweat could not consistently keep his weight where the Titans wanted it, per veteran reporter Paul Kuharsky. He will now be part of an overhauled Jets front seven, one that still features Will McDonald as an EDGE pillar. But the Jets have moved on from Williams, Johnson, John Franklin-Myers, Haason Reddick and Bryce Huff since the 2024 offseason. With Micheal Clemons a free agent, McDonald is about all that is left from Joe Douglas‘ regime on that unit.
With Johnson out of the picture, the Jets will be closely connected to using the No. 2 overall pick — presuming the Raiders follow through on their long-rumored Fernando Mendoza selection — on an edge defender. Ohio State’s Vell Reese and Texas Tech’s David Bailey certainly did not do anything to lower their draft stocks at the Combine today. One could be added to complement McDonald come April. The Jets viewed McDonald as the higher-value player compared to Johnson last year, with the latter struggling in his first season following an Achilles tear.
The Jets may not be done trading assets acquired under Douglas, with Hughes adding talk at the Combine points to internal interest in unloading more players from the previous regime. This does not include Breece Hall, whom Gang Green plans to tag before next week’s deadline. But the dwindling number of Douglas-Saleh-era pieces may thin out further soon, as the deadline showed no one added prior to the Glenn-Darren Mougey duo’s arrival is particularly safe here.
Garrett Wilson isn’t going anywhere, and Cimini adds center/guard Joe Tippmann may be an extension candidate. Sliding to right guard (in place of the injured Alijah Vera-Tucker) after the Josh Myers signing, Tippmann has full-season starter experience at center and RG. The Jets’ two-year left guard starter, John Simpson, is a free agent. Being acquired under Douglas would make him less likely to return, but Tippmann looks to be a player this regime wants to keep working with beyond 2026.
The Jets are riding a 15-year playoff drought, by far the NFL’s longest skid, and 2025 trade acquisition Harrison Phillips said recently Glenn inherited a “cancerous, truculent” group. Phillips remains under contract, making this an interesting stance to take ahead of an April return to work. But the Jets were worse last season than in the final three Saleh years, continuing an extended period of futility.
“I think AG inherited a very cancerous, truculent group — whole, top to bottom,” Phillips said during an interview with Roundtable Sports (via Cimini). “It’s not individual people’s fault. I was there for one season — it was a very difficult season — and I almost wanted to waver on some of my thoughts and my beliefs and my optimism. So, I can’t imagine being there for year after year after year after year and not seeing the results that you wanted, and it tainted people.”
Amid that struggle, Glenn canned DC hire Steve Wilks — last season’s play-caller — and was tied to being close to hiring Don Martindale as his next DC. Rumblings about Woody Johnson changing that plan (and having Glenn call plays) surfaced. Glenn naturally defended his boss, noting (via Cimini) the owner — known as a meddlesome figure — is “not pushing me to pick coaches.”
Glenn’s seat is certainly much hotter after a 3-14 debut; he and Duker — a Lions assistant under Glenn from 2021-23 before a Miami relocation — will be tasked with turning around a unit that regressed considerably after Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich‘s exits.
Another former Glenn charge appears to be on the Jets’ radar. Alex Anzalone, who overlapped with Glenn in Detroit and New Orleans, is in play for the Jets, per Essentiallysports.com’s Tony Pauline, who notes mutual interest in a signing is present. A third-round Saints pick in their tide-turning 2017 class, Anzalone followed Glenn to Detroit in 2021. He started five seasons with the Lions, but the NFC North team — which has a slew of extension candidates based on its recent drafts — did not agree on an extension for the veteran linebacker last year.
The Lions were believed to have interest in re-signing Anzalone, but Pauline adds a market is developing for the 93-start player. Anzalone, 31, played out a three-year, $18.75MM deal. During his Detroit tenure, the Lions used a first-round pick on Jack Campbell and re-signed LB Derrick Barnes. These developments look to point the nine-year veteran elsewhere, and there could be a fit in New York — where Saleh-era piece Quincy Williams is nearing free agency.
The Jets also have safeties Andre Cisco and Tony Adams set to hit the market, and Pauline indicates the team is expected to pursue veteran help on the market next month. Jets meetings with agents representing safety UFAs-to-be are expected to take place this week, as the team’s Week 1 defense is poised to be vastly different from what it looked like to open last season.
Jets Remain In Contact With Frank Reich; Aaron Glenn Could Call Defensive Plays?
Frank Reich emerged over the weekend as a candidate to watch for the Jets as their coordinator searches continue. A hire in his case could be drawing near. 
Conversations are “progressing” between Reich and the Jets, SNY’s Connor Hughes reports. An agreement remains the team’s priority as this point while head coach Aaron Glenn attempts to fill out his staff. Tanner Engstrand is set to remain in New York for 2026, but his responsibilities for next season are still unclear.
As Hughes notes, Engstrand could wind up retaining the title of offensive coordinator for 2026. In the event he were to be hired, though, Reich would handle play-calling duties. The longtime NFL quarterback – who spent one year of his playing career with the Jets – has worked as an offensive coordinator on two occasions (Chargers from 2014-15; Eagles from 2016-17). Reich’s Philadelphia tenure included a Super Bowl championship but then-head coach Doug Pederson called plays at the time.
Reich worked as the Colts’ head coach for four-plus years, with his time there ending midway through the 2022 season. He lasted less than one full campaign during his debut season as the Panthers’ head coach, one in which play-calling duties changed hands along the way. Since his most recent NFL gig came to a quick end, Reich has worked at Stanford. A return to the pro game remains something to watch for in the 64-year-old’s case, though.
Meanwhile, the search for defensive coordinator Steve Wilks‘ replacement is ongoing. Don Martindale remains a leading candidate at this point, per Hughes, although he cautions a hire on that front is not considered as certain as it was in recent days. Martindale has a lengthy track record in the NFL, having been a DC with three teams. After a less-than-cordial departure from the Giants in 2023, Martindale spent the past two seasons as Michigan’s defensive coordinator.
A return to the NFL would be in store in the event of a Jets agreement. Other options are still being explored, however. According to Hughes, candidates who met with the team received the impression Glenn’s preference would be to call plays himself. That leaves the door open to Chris Harris remaining New York’s D-coordinator through 2026 (after he took over from Wilks) but in a role which does not include play-calling duties.
Prior to landing the Jets’ HC gig last winter, Glenn called plays with the Lions during his four-year run as their DC. Detroit ranked seventh in points allowed during the 2024 season, but Glenn’s tenure there included a number of middling showings in terms of total defense. New York bottomed out on defense during Glenn’s first HC season, one in which Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams were traded away. Significant improvement on that side of the ball will be a key priority over the coming months.
How the Jets go about that on the sidelines remains unclear at this point. Neither Reich nor Martindale have been connected to any other coordinator openings around the NFL so far. One or both could be in the fold soon, but that will depend in large part on what Glenn decides his role will be in 2026.
Wink Martindale Set For Second Interview For Jets’ DC Job
Former Ravens and Giants defensive coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale is in New York for a second, in-person interview for the Jets’ defensive coordinator vacancy, per SNY’s Connor Hughes.
Martindale, 62, is entering his 30th year as a coach. He spent the last two years as Michigan’s defensive coordinator but did not uphold the standard by his predecessors, Mike Macdonald and Jesse Minter, two of his former assistants in Baltimore who are now head coaches for the Seahawks and the Ravens, respectively. Martindale was not retained by new Wolverines head coach Kyle Whittingham for the 2026 season, making him a free agent and positioning him for a move back to the NFL.
With a second interview, Martindale is emerging as a top candidate for the Jets’ DC job, if not an outright frontrunner. He has been in contact with head coach Aaron Glenn “throughout the process, going back a few weeks,” according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini. The two coaches have not overlapped with the same team during their time in the NFL – including Glenn’s playing career – but they no doubt are familiar with each other given their time in the NFL.
Martindale’s blitz-heavy system could help the Jets get more out of a pass rush that only produced 26 sacks in 2025, the second-fewest in the NFL. Sending Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys at the trade deadline certainly did not help, but he only produced one sack in his first eight games. Jermaine Johnson only recorded three sacks, though he was only a year removed from a torn Achilles. But Glenn’s credentials as the Lions’ defensive coordinator got him the job in New York, so the team is likely expecting him to find ways to generate pressure regardless of his personnel.
Martindale, who had a heavy hand in creating the systems now run by Macdonald, Minters, and other NFL DCs, may not have the best recent history, but he is still a respected defensive mind with a knack for pressuring opposing quarterbacks.
Here is an overview of the Jets’ search for a new defensive coordinator:
- Mathieu Araujo, cornerbacks coach (Dolphins): Interviewed
- Ephraim Banda, safeties coach (Browns): Interviewed
- DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Packers): Interviewed
- Chris Harris, interim defensive coordinator (Jets): Interviewed 1/18
- Daronte Jones, defensive backs coach (Vikings): Interviewed
- Jim Leonhard, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Interviewed
- Don Martindale, defensive coordinator (Michigan): Conducting second interview 1/24
- Jim O’Neil, defensive assistant/safeties (Lions): Interviewed
Jets To Retain HC Aaron Glenn
Aaron Glenn‘s first year as an NFL head coach has certainly not gone according to plan. He is set to remain in place for 2026, however.
The Jets will retain Glenn for next season, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network write. His job security has been a talking point for several weeks, but the most recent indications have been that Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey will be safe. CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones adds owner Woody Johnson wants to evaluate the current HC-GM tandem with a better quarterback situation in place.
The Justin Fields signing proved to be a misstep leading up to the decision to bench him. Fields’ time in New York is likely nearing an end, and the Jets have already done homework on some of the top quarterback prospects for 2026. With five first-round picks across the next two years, acquiring a new passer will certainly be feasible.
The Jets have undergone plenty of changes in recent years, but Dianna Russini of The Athletic writes (subscription required) Johnson is still “committed” to Glenn’s organizational plan at this point. Improvements in 2026 will be sought out, though the current decision-making group will remain intact. Certain changes – including a full-time replacement for Steve Wilks at the defensive coordinator spot – will become the focus of the hiring cycle as it plays out.
After a four-year run guiding the Lions’ defense, Glenn took his first head coaching gig by joining the Jets. Entering Sunday’s action, the team sits at 3-13 amidst struggles on multiple fronts. Drafting a passer along with making moves to replace Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner – who were both traded away at the deadline – will be key priorities over the course of the spring. As Gary Myers of 880 ESPN New York notes, Glenn has another four years remaining on his contract at a rate of $10MM per year. Nonetheless, a notable step forward will no doubt be expected during his second season at the helm to avoid further talks of a dismissal.
Johnson has drawn criticism on a number of fronts during his tenure. That includes the selection process for many of his coaching and GM hires, although he has consulted outside voices on many occasions. An interview with two NFL executives and one local insider from Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports reveals that Johnson received a recommendation from Peyton Manning to hire Adam Gase in 2019. During last year’s interview process, ex-Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum was among those sought out as contributors. Johnson is positioned to rely on the status quo in that capacity for 2026, however.
Jets Expected To Keep HC Aaron Glenn, GM Darren Mougey
There have been a few conflicting reports on Jets head coach Aaron Glenn‘s job security in the past two weeks. A couple of recent updates suggested Glenn’s on shaky ground. Conversely, another indicated he’ll return for a second season in 2026. That will indeed be the case, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. First-year general manager Darren Mougey is also safe, Breer adds.
Jets owner Woody Johnson installed the Mougey-Glenn power structure just under a year ago, hiring the coach before the GM in late January. Moving on from either or both after one season, albeit a dismal campaign in which the team has gone 3-13, would be a questionable look for the organization. That’s especially true with the Jets in the early stages of a full-scale rebuild.
New York took a shot at contending in 2024 with a healthy Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. The club instead sputtered to a 5-12 mark, leading to a regime change and the end of the disappointing Rodgers era. Rodgers and his friend, veteran wide receiver Davante Adams, were among those given their walking papers last offseason.
With Rodgers gone, the Jets took a two-year, $40MM gamble (with $30MM guaranteed) in free agency on former Bears and Steelers signal-caller Justin Fields. That will go down as a miss for Mougey, previously Denver’s assistant GM, and Glenn. The 26-year-old Fields, whom Glenn benched in November, is a surefire release candidate heading into the offseason.
Fields’ inability to nail down the job will put the Jets in the market for a quarterback yet again. Armed with two first-round picks, including the current third overall choice, the Jets could nab one of the draft’s top-ranked passers. That’s assuming they’re high enough on the prospects available.
Mougey acquired the second of his 2026 first-rounders (plus a 2027 first and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell) in a blockbuster trade with the Colts at the Nov. 4 deadline. Despite signing No. 1 cornerback Sauce Gardner to a four-year, $120.4MM extension in July, Mougey shipped him to Indianapolis just under four months later.
Standout defensive tackle Quinnen Williams joined Gardner in exiting at the deadline. Mougey sent him to the Cowboys for a 2026 second-rounder, a 2027 first and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
The Gardner and Williams deals may pay sizable dividends in the future. For now, the Jets are unquestionably in worse shape. Their defense has allowed between 29 and 48 points in four straight games (all losses). Glenn fired his first D-coordinator, Steve Wilks, on Dec. 15, though the unit hasn’t fared any better in two games under interim DC Chris Harris.
The Jets’ defensive woes don’t reflect well on Glenn, a former NFL cornerback (including with the Jets) who was Detroit’s D-coordinator before New York hired him. Identifying Wilks’ successor will rank among his most important offseason tasks. It’s possible Glenn will make other changes to his staff, Breer relays, though it’s unclear which assistants he could replace.
Although Glenn’s first go-around as a head coach has been a bumpy ride, it appears likely he’ll return for the second season of a five-year contract. Between the Jets’ haul of draft picks and a massive amount of spending room (approximately $91MM, per Over the Cap), he and Mougey will be in prime position to upgrade a hole-filled roster in the offseason.
Jets HC Aaron Glenn’s Status Uncertain?
Week 17 saw the Jets’ disappointing end to the season continue. Attention will soon turn to free agency and the draft for first-year general manager Darren Mougey, but it remains to be seen if Aaron Glenn will be retained for 2026.
Glenn’s first season as a head coach has not gone according to plan, especially in recent weeks. The Jets are in the midst of a four-game losing streak. Their margin of defeat in those contests has been 24, 28, 23 and 32 points. New York currents sits 30th in the NFL in points allowed despite Glenn’s background as a defensive coordinator.
Of course, the decision to trade away cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams led to a decrease in expectations on that side of the ball for the second half of the campaign. Nevertheless, the Jets’ struggles in that regard led to DC Steve Wilks being fired. Glenn’s job security was viewed as being uncertain at that point, although a more recent report indicated he will remain in place for next season.
The 53-year-old’s job security is still a talking point at this time, however. Outkick’s Armando Salguero writes Glenn is not safe in the wake of his team’s underwhelming finish to the season. Glenn joined New York on a five-year deal following his tenure leading the Lions’ defense. Moving on after just one campaign would thus come as a surprise even with the team sitting at 3-13. Glenn’s latest comments on the matter point to continued support coming from owner Woody Johnson.
“I do know there’s a belief in me,” Glenn said of Johnson (via Salguero). “I do know I believe in him. That’s why I’m glad I took this job, is because of ownership and what he’s about… I’m disappointed. I know he’s disappointed. So, now we’ve got to figure out what we do to make sure that we get over that hump and move forward.”
Improved play in many respects will be required for the Jets to bounce back in 2026. At least one change will take place on the sidelines when Wilks’ full-time replacement is named. Other moves affecting the coaching staff could be made soon, and Glenn’s standing in the organization will remain something to watch closely through the final week of the campaign.
Jets Expected To Retain HC Aaron Glenn
A five-win showing in 2024 led to a shakeup on the Jets’ sideline last offseason. After firing head coach Robert Saleh during the season and finishing the campaign with interim choice Jeff Ulbrich, the team hired Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as its full-time sideline leader.
The Jets weren’t expected to push for a playoff spot this year, but at 3-11 under Glenn, they’re on a worse pace than last season. There has been some question about Glenn’s job security as a result. He’s not going anywhere, though, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.
A Glenn firing “was never under consideration,” writes Russini, who adds that agents around the NFL are operating as if the organization will stay the course. The Woody Johnson-owned franchise is exercising patience with Glenn during a rebuild.
Glenn, a former Jets defensive back, rejoined the club just a few days before the late-January hiring of general manager Darren Mougey. They’re now attempting to restore relevance to a franchise that hasn’t qualified for the postseason since 2010.
Knowing the Jets wouldn’t contend in the near term, the new regime made a couple of significant talent-dumping deals ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline. They shipped off their two best defensive players, cornerback Sauce Gardner (Colts) and D-tackle Quinnen Williams (Cowboys). Those swaps netted Glenn and Mougey major assets for the future.
Gardner brought back two first-round picks and second-year wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, who has played better since arriving in New York. The Colts were fighting for the top spot in the AFC at the time. They’ve plummeted from 7-1 to 8-6, though, and are now unlikely to make the playoffs. That’s great news for the Jets.
Williams cost the Cowboys a 2026 second, a 2027 first, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith. Despite going in the first round in 2023, Smith was a bust in Dallas, and he has been a non-factor for the Jets. Even if he doesn’t evolve into a contributor, the picks could prove crucial in a potential turnaround.
With Gardner and Williams gone, the Jets are unsurprisingly worse off in the here and now. Despite the presence of a defensive-minded head coach, that unit has looked especially rough of late. After the Jets yielded a combined 82 points in losses to the Dolphins and Jaguars over the past two weeks, Glenn fired coordinator Steve Wilks on Monday. Glenn will have to decide whether to turn the reins over to pass game coordinator Chris Harris, who’s succeeding Wilks on an interim basis, or choose someone else in the offseason.
Glenn will also have a say in the quarterback position next year. That will be the most important offseason business for the Jets, whose 2026 starter likely isn’t on the roster. The move to sign Justin Fields to a two-year, $40MM contract with $30MM in guarantees last offseason has proven to be a misfire for the team’s new leadership. Fields, whom the Jets benched last month, probably won’t be back next season. Veteran backup Tyrod Taylor is a pending free agent, and it’s unlikely undrafted rookie Brady Cook is the answer.
With the Jets boasting enviable draft capital, including the current fifth and 18th overall picks in 2026, they could welcome a prized rookie passer into the fold next year. Mougey has scouted top QB prospects Fernando Mendoza (Indiana’s Heisman Trophy winner) and Dante Moore (Oregon) in person. Either could wind up playing for Glenn in 2026.
Latest On Jets’ Steve Wilks Firing, Aaron Glenn’s Status
The Jets enjoyed stability on defense for three-plus seasons, having Robert Saleh overseeing Jeff Ulbrich. The unit made tremendous strides in 2022 and remained one of the league’s best in 2023. Woody Johnson went around then-GM Joe Douglas and fired Saleh in October 2024. The Jets’ defense has not regained its form since.
Although the Jets did rank third in total defense under Ulbrich last year, they dropped to 20th in scoring and 21st in EPA per play. No silver lining was present under Steve Wilks, who oversaw the league’s 30th-ranked scoring unit (20th in yardage, 28th in EPA per play) and was fired after Week 15. This marks Wilks’ fifth straight one-and-done stretch in the NFL; overall, the former Panthers and Cardinals HC has not stayed with the same team/college program since his first Panthers stint ended after the 2017 season.
Wilks, 56, ran into internal opposition during his rough Jets stay. Many players viewed Wilks’ scheme as ineffective, according to SNY.tv’s Connor Hughes, who adds one unnamed player questioned Wilks in a meeting. Another player repeatedly questioned his usage and lack of freedom within the scheme.
The Jets struggling defensively after the Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams trades was to be expected, but Wilks’ unit was not doing well before those deadline moves. Wilks’ Jets work has not approached where the 49ers were (third in scoring defense, eighth in yardage) during his one-off with the NFC West club, and the veteran defensive boss’ stock continues to fall.
Wilks, though, worked under a defense-oriented HC. Aaron Glenn certainly deserves blame for the defense’s shape. The Jets have given up 82 points over the past two games — both blowout losses. While Gang Green’s quarterback situation has contributed heavily to those one-sided defeats — to the Dolphins and Jaguars — Glenn’s first year has gone poorly. Given the state of the franchise when the former Jets cornerback took over, a quick turnaround was not exactly expected.
Johnson also strongly endorsed Glenn at the October owners’ meetings, doing so while criticizing then-starter Justin Fields. Still, the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora notes Glenn is “far from assured” to be back for a second season. Considering the heat Johnson took for meddling last year and Glenn signing a five-year contract, it would be quite surprising to see the Jets pull the trigger now. We also heard last month Glenn was safe for 2026, with the rookie HC being involved in the decisions the Jets made at the trade deadline.
This coaching market is not exactly teeming with talent that would inspire confidence an upgrade is in store, with a host of defense-based leaders as the top candidates. The Jets firing Glenn after one season would further depict this as an unstable organization. It should still be expected Glenn returns for 2026, when the team will hold two first-round picks thanks to the Gardner trade. But the heat may be rising already for the former Lions DC.
Jets’ Benching Of QB Justin Fields Seen As Permanent
The Jets’ benching of Justin Fields is “not expected to be temporary,” per ESPN’s Dan Graziano. Barring injury, Tyrod Taylor is slated to start for the rest of the 2025 season, and Fields is likely to leave New York this offseason.
The Jets believe it will be easier to evaluate their young pass-catchers – particularly rookie tight end Mason Taylor and wideouts John Metchie and Adonai Mitchell – with Tyrod Taylor under center. The 36-year-old quarterback is more willing to play within the structure of the offense as opposed to Fields, who is more liable to hold onto the ball, throw a check down to a running back, or take off on a scramble. Though Taylor has three interceptions in 69 attempts compared to Fields’ one in 204 attempts, the Jets are willing to weather the risk of interception in exchange for more opportunities for their skill players.
The team is also planning to find a new quarterback this offseason, whether it be a rookie draft pick or another veteran acquisition. The draft from the Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams trades has given New York enough draft capital to land nearly any available passer in the offseason.
The Jets are also expected to part ways with Fields after the 2025 season concludes. $10MM of his $20MM salary in 2026 is guaranteed; between that and his poor performance, he is unlikely to draw trade interest and will likely be released as a post-June 1 cut. That would save $10MM against the Jets’ 2026 salary cap with a $13MM dead cap charge with another $9MM of dead money in 2027. However, the team has more than $70MM of dead money to account for next year, per OverTheCap, including $35MM from Aaron Rodgers, $11MM from Gardner, and $9.8MM from Williams. The Jets may prefer to push as much dead cap from Fields’ deal into 2027.
They could do so by converting his remaining guaranteed salary into a signing bonus and prorating it across the remainder of his contract. The Jets’ 2026 savings would stay at $10MM, but only $5MM of Fields’ dead money would hit with the remaining $17MM being pushed to 2027. Fields’ deal already has four void years built in, suggesting that the team wanted to have this contract option in case 2025 went poorly, which it did.
The first three void years were used to prorate his signing bonus, while the fourth was left empty in case of a 2026 restructure. Adding a void year to a contract, even for purposes of a restructure, requires player consent, which Fields may not give. Instead, general manager Darren Mougey designed his deal to ensure that the Jets had more flexibility after the 2025 season.
It almost feels like Mougey and new head coach Aaron Glenn saw 2025 as a reset year in New York. They took a chance on Fields without too hefty of a commitment; once it became clear that he was not the Jets’ long-term quarterback, they pivoted to blow up the core of their roster. Now, they have enough draft capital to acquire a quarterback and the opportunity to complete rebuild the Jets from the ground up.
Latest On Sauce Gardner Trade; Jets HC Aaron Glenn’s Job Is Safe
The Jets’ deadline trade sending cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts in exchange for a 2026 first-rounder, a 2027 first-rounder, and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell caught many by surprise. However, the foundation for those types of deals is typically laid well in advance of the agreement itself. That is exactly what happened here, as multiple reporters, including Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic (subscription required), detail that the framework of the Gardner deal – and the other swaps New York made – began to take shape in Week 4.
At that time, GM Darren Mougey and his staff began to hold weekly meetings to discuss, among other things, the trade value of each player on the roster. The idea was to avoid recency bias as the November 4 deadline approached and other clubs began making trade offers.
So, although ESPN’s Rich Cimini says the Jets never intended to move Gardner – whom they signed to a four-year, $120.4MM contract extension in July – they did establish what it would take to consider trading him if an offer came in. Per Cimini and Albert Breer of SI.com, that price was indeed two first-rounders and a quality player.
After the Colts’ Week 6 victory over the Cardinals improved their record to 5-1, Breer says Indianapolis’ assistant GM, Ed Dodds, placed calls around the league seeking CB help (Charvarius Ward suffered a concussion prior to the Arizona contest and landed on injured reserve as a result, and rookie Justin Walley sustained a season-ending ACL tear in August). Dodds’ efforts led him to Mougey, who indicated he would listen to offers on anyone on the roster, even if he was not actively looking to trade certain players.
Mougey and Colts GM Chris Ballard then discussed the possibility of a Gardner trade. While Cimini says Ballard initially balked at the asking price, Mougey himself noted Indianapolis’ offers “kept getting richer and richer.” The Colts inquired on the Giants’ Deonte Banks (per Cimini) and the Saints’ Alontae Taylor (as previously reported), but Gardner is on an entirely different tier.
As Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon put it during a conversation with Ballard on the eve of the deadline, “[d]o you want to Band-Aid [the cornerback position] or fix it for the long-term?” (via Breer). When Ballard explained how valuable Gardner could be, particularly considering the importance of CBs in defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s scheme, Irsay-Gordon agreed the long-term fix was the right choice.
According to Cimini, the Jets were emphatic about including Mitchell in the trade. Breer adds Indianapolis grew increasingly amenable to moving the 2024 second-rounder, who had become an afterthought in the team’s offense. With the Jets high on Mitchell and the Colts prepared to move on, all of the pieces for the Gardner trade were in place.
Of course, Gardner was not the only elite defender Mougey jettisoned at the deadline. Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams was sent to the Cowboys in a swap that netted the Jets DT Mazi Smith, a 2026 second-rounder, and the higher of Dallas’ two 2027 first-rounders. Per Breer, Mougey knew the Cowboys would not give back everything they had gotten in the offseason Micah Parsons trade, which is one of the reasons why the GM began to consider a first-rounder in 2027 instead of 2026. The other reason is that he and his staff believe the ‘27 draft class offers more promise than the ‘26 crop. Now, thanks to the Gardner and Williams deals, the Jets have three first-round selections (including their own) in a year they consider to be rife with quality prospects.
Both Brian Costello of the New York Post and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network write that head coach Aaron Glenn was heavily involved in the trade discussions, which bolsters Rapoport’s report that Glenn will not be a one-and-done coach. Owner Woody Johnson recently called Glenn “the real deal,” and sources tell Rapoport that Glenn will not be judged by the Jets’ 2025 record and will be given a chance to guide the club through its rebuild.
Johnson has a history of being something of a meddlesome owner, but Cimini suggests that was not the case at this year’s deadline. Instead, when his first-year GM and HC told him of the plan to trade Gardner mere months after authorizing a lucrative extension for him, Johnson simply reaffirmed his faith in his top power brokers.