A key to the Jets’ turnaround in 2026 will be improving the roster and depth chart – loading up on good starters and backups.
After a loss to New England in Week 17, their fourth blowout loss in a row during a historically bad December, Jets website contributor Brian Baldinger said on WFAN, “Honestly, it’s not an NFL roster.”
Moving forward, Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey need to channel Seahawks architects John Schneider and Mike Macdonald, who have obviously done a great job with the Seattle roster.
The Seattle braintrust made a lot of tough decisions, not all popular ones, and this led to a Super Bowl Championship on Sunday.
Like when they traded veteran WR DK Metcalf, who wanted more money, they traded him to Pittsburgh and replaced him with a talented young player, Jaxon Smith-Njiba, who is on his rookie contract. Brilliant move in a sport with a salary cap. Look at Cincinnati.
And swapping out QB Geno Smith for Sam Darnold.
“Sometimes you have to make really tough decisions, and that is part of my responsibility, and it’s part of John’s responsibility of doing what’s best for the job at all times,” Macdonald said.
And that should be Glenn/Mougey’s mission moving forward – make “tough decisions,” and operate sans confirmation bias. Don’t buy the hype about certain players in the public square, which is not always accurate.
Go strictly by the film at all times. The film doesn’t lie.
Because clearly the Jets’ roster and depth chart need to be a heck of a lot better than the one we saw in 2025.
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