Is It Fair to Call Jets 2026 Offseason Winners?

The New York Jets have been here before.

After a strong offseason, the organization has been commended by executives, national reporters, and scouts from around the league. Surely, THIS is the year the Jets will turn things around, right?

This offseason has been a bit different than some of the others in team history. Shrewd signings and quality trades have built the 2026 Jets into a better roster from top to bottom than the one that walked off the field at the end of the 2025 campaign. There was no "star hunting" as the team did in the past.

No Le'Veon Bell or Aaron Rodgers. Just quality veterans who provide leadership and upgrades in key areas.

But is that enough to make them "winners" of the offseason again? Is it even fair to put that moniker on this team going forward?

Jets' offseason gets praise as team turns the page on 2025 season

New York spent over $60 million this offseason in free-agent signings and trades. The plan was to improve the depth of the group without sacrificing their long-term future draft prospects. So far, that plan seems to be coming to fruition.

NFL.com's Bucky Brooks believes the team is finally on the right track again.

With (head coach Aaron) Glenn taking on play-calling duties, the Jets have a clear identity that should mesh with the personnel brought in to play a more aggressive brand of football," Brooks said. "As a bold play-caller who wants to bring heat with sticky man coverage behind it, Glenn has put together a collection of veterans and newbies with the skills to make his X's and O's come to life.

Is Brooks right in his assessment? It's a fair one to make, especially for a Jets team that was so devoid of talent across the board last season.

But it won't necessarily matter how good the team is on paper. Their biggest question centers around the coaching staff.

For as much as Glenn wanted the head coaching job, the former Pro Bowl cornerback turned lead man looked overmatched in his first season. In-game mistakes, an inability to prepare the team on a weekly basis, and poor assistant coach hirings all plagued Glenn during his inaugural season leading New York.

That's something the coach has admitted to needing to fix.

There's a number of things that I know I will be better at, Glenn said in January. And again, I'm still doing the self-reflection, but I know for a fact there are a number of things, and the confidence that I have in (Jets general manager Darren Mougey) Moug, the confidence I have in our owner (Woody Johnson), the confidence I have in myself, the confidence I have in some of the foundational players that we have, that's where the confidence really comes from.

New York needs its coaching staff not to be overwhelmed again. They need Glenn to take a major step in the management process and the play-calling duties to see exactly how far this improved group can go.

Glenn's "superpower" may be play-calling, but the Jets must see that through a full season in order to feel confident in what they have.

Until then, even analysts like Brooks won't be able to truly make the Jets a "winner" of the offseason, so long as their coaching staff remains a major question mark.

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