5 Jets storylines to watch as 2026 NFL season begins

After a disappointing 3-14 campaign in 2025, the Jets get their 2026 season underway on Sunday afternoon, as they travel to face their former head coach Robert Saleh and his Tennessee Titans.

Plenty of changes have been made during the offseason, with many of the main building blocks still in place. These changes are not guaranteed to be effective, though and, if they backfire, it won’t be long until we hear the familiar refrain of “Same Old Jets” from fans and media.

Here are five storylines to watch during the regular season…

Geno Smith‘s redemption story

For Geno Smith to return to the Jets organization after a decade away is improbable enough; especially given the ignominious nature of his departure. However, what would it be like if he could actually succeed in his second act?

“That would be like a story in a movie, right?” Smith has said, “Kind of like one of those superhero movies.”

It’s already remarkable enough that Smith ascended to a Pro Bowl level in Seattle after the Jets had all but written him off at the end of a disappointing and controversial four season run with the team. However, it’s obvious that the 35-year old has matured and gained fresh perspective in his time away.

As he makes his return to New York, fresh doubts surround Smith, who once famously said “They wrote me off… I ain’t write back though”. He led the NFL in interceptions as he led the Raiders to the league’s worst record in 2025.

In principle, the Jets have the offensive line stability, offensive playmakers and experienced offensive coaches that should make it feasible for Smith to bounce back. There are probably a few more twists and turns to come in this particular “movie,” though.

Aaron Glenn feels the heat

Publicly, the Jets organization has thrown their support behind head coach Aaron Glenn, and preached patience and pragmatism as he needs the time to rebuild the Jets’ roster and culture, not to mention their structures and processes.

However, ownership has earned a reputation for being impatient over the past few decades, so Glenn can’t afford a slow start in 2026. The Jets initially looked competitive in Glenn’s first season, losing two of their first three games on last second field goals to playoff contenders. However, they ended up losing their first seven games. Anything similar in 2026 is sure to get the vultures circling.

Glenn, who is taking over responsibility for defensive playcalling this season, added veteran coach Frank Reich to oversee the offense, and will take charge of a roster that looks considerably deeper than last year’s following an active offseason.

While Glenn has repeatedly discussed the need for a long-term plan, the fact so many changes needed to be made does little to inspire confidence in how much progress has been made. He’s going to need to produce tangible results sooner rather than later. 

The foundation is in place for the Jets to be more competitive this year, but Glenn still has a challenge ahead of him as he tries to get the Jets out of the losing habit. A couple of early wins would go a long way towards getting things moving in the right direction.

Can the new additions help the Jets change the losing habit?

Not only have the Jets been enduring a league-worst 16-year postseason drought, but they made history in 2025, which ended up being a season to forget. The Jets became the first team in NFL history to lose five games in a row by 23 or more points at the end of the season, and were also the first NFL team ever to go a full season without intercepting a pass. 

Nevertheless, the Jets have reloaded their roster this season with a mixture of veteran leaders and high-potential youngsters. Could this group help the Jets win games and restore relevance?

Demario Davis and Minkah Fitzpatrick give the Jets a pair of Pro Bowl talents who should help eradicate the kind of defensive breakdowns that defined last season. There’s also hope for the future with rookie David Bailey bringing star potential to the pass rush. The offense wasn’t neglected, though, with Smith bringing experience and two pass catchers selected in the first round to give him a better collection of weapons.

If these moves can transform the Jets into a competitive unit, we could end up seeing them flexed into a national game after all.

Will New York have a dominant special teams unit again?

Special teams coordinator Chris Banjo‘s unit was a rare bright spot in 2025, ranking among the best in the NFL.

New punter Austin McNamara was a revelation, backed up by an well-coached coverage unit that included some individual standouts. In addition, the return game was a difference-maker, with both Kene Nwangwu and Isaiah Williams making a series of big plays.

Most of the key contributors are returning for 2026, which bodes well, but there’s one key omission. Kicker Nick Folk had a terrific 2025 season, but he signed for Atlanta and the Jets have cycled through several placekickers during the offseason to try to find an adequate replacement.

For now, Blake Grupe is on the roster and the recently-released Jason Sanders remains on the practice squad, but the Jets find themselves in the familiar position of entering a season with uncertainty at that spot.

Banjo and the Jets will be crossing their fingers that this doesn’t come back to bite them.

Which returning Jets are primed for a breakout?

As part of their rebuilding process last year, the Jets traded away defensive stars Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner at the deadline, and have since parted ways with the likes of Quincy Williams, Jermaine Johnson and Alijah Vera-Tucker.

However, parts of the old nucleus remain. Garrett Wilson is back after an injury-plagued fourth season, and Breece Hall, perhaps surprisingly, signed an extension after posting the first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career. Could they ascend to new heights in Reich’s offense?

Most experts are high on the young tackle pairing — Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou — to continue to improve, but a real boost would come from someone unexpected like wide receiver Adonai Mitchell or cornerback Azareye’h Thomas establishing themselves as a star.

Many of these players have seen plenty of losing during their time with the Jets. The challenge for Glenn and the other coaches will be to make the team competitive to create the conditions for these returning players to thrive and realize their full potential.