After starting the season 0-5, many Jets fans have already begun looking towards 2026.
Gang Green is the lone winless team in the NFL.
This week, the Jets are hoping a trip to London ahead of Sunday’s game against the Broncos will help get away from all the outside noise. With 12 games remaining, Jets coach Aaron Glenn is just looking for a win to create some positive momentum.
If the Jets are going to upset the Broncos, they will need to find a way to play complementary football. Through five games, the Jets have failed to do that, with turnovers and penalties playing a significant role in their lack of success.
With that in mind, let’s answer some questions in this week’s mailbag.
Who [are] we drafting at QB? — @Xavier_NYC
Before I get into the 2026 quarterback prospects, it is worth noting that Justin Fields has put up decent numbers in his four starts (missed Week 3 due to a concussion). He has thrown for 754 yards and four touchdowns. Fields has also rushed for 204 yards and three scores.
However, a lot of his stats and numbers have come when games have been out of reach. Three of his four passing touchdowns have come during garbage time. In addition, the Jets haven’t scored a rushing or passing touchdown in the first half since Week 1’s loss to the Steelers.
Although Fields may not be the main problem during the Jets’ 0-5 start, he certainly hasn’t been the solution either, which brings us to why the Jets should draft Oregon quarterback Dante Moore if they get the No. 1 overall pick.
Moore has skyrocketed up draft boards recently after the Ducks’ victory over Penn State. In five games since transferring from UCLA, Moore has been a smooth passer with an excellent arm and accuracy, throwing for 1,210 yards, 14 touchdown passes and one interception.
The biggest concern regarding Moore is his small sample size. He has only started 19 games in college and doesn’t turn 21 until next May. Because of that, the Jets should keep Fields for the final year of his deal while also drafting and developing Moore, sort of like the Giants did with Russell Wilson, until they were ready to hand the reins off to Jaxson Dart.
AP
New York Jets defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. (AP)
How much of the problems on defense can be attributed to Steve Wilks? — @GavinComedy
I’m not sure how much the Jets are working to the strengths of their defense. If you remember, Robert Saleh’s/Jeff Ulbrich’s defense from the previous regime ran a lot of zone coverages in the secondary. Steve Wilks and Aaron Glenn are asking the players to go from that to being primarily a man-coverage team.
Obviously, the results have not been kind. The Jets have gone from one of the best defenses in the NFL to one of the worst.
Gang Green is 22nd in yards (347.4) and 31st in points allowed (31.4). I think there’s enough blame to go around, but Wilks is at fault because he has to adapt to his personnel right now. The Jets returned eight starters from last year’s defense that finished third in yards allowed.
The players also have to be accountable because they are the ones who have not registered a turnover in their first five games, marking the first time in NFL history that this has happened. They also have seven sacks this season, which is the third fewest in the league.
Eventually, Wilks and Glenn will get the guys they want to run the type of defense they expect. But until that happens, they need to cater to the strengths of the team.
Is the roster actually this bad and in dire need of a complete overhaul (outside of Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner, Quinnen Williams) or are we underperforming? — @cuomoshow
It is a little bit of both.
I find that many Jets fans have overrated this roster since two years ago when they traded to bring in Aaron Rodgers. Obviously, 2023 was a wash after Rodgers tore his Achilles four plays into his Jets debut.
Last year, many thought that with the return of Rodgers, the addition of Haason Reddick, and later Davante Adams, they could contend for a playoff spot and possibly a Super Bowl. Even the NFL thought they would be good after giving them five primetime games, only to see the Jets go 5-12 and overhaul their coaching staff and front office.
Some of these players are holdovers from the Saleh/Joe Douglas regime. I personally thought the Jets would finish around six or seven wins this season. In that sense, they are underperforming despite having talented players like Wilson, Gardner and Williams.
But the Jets were not considered a playoff team this season due to questions about Fields, the offense and defensive changes. But I’m not sure anyone thought the Jets would look this disinterested in games and the defense would lead the league in missed tackles (49).
