Jets Can Make Loud Statement With Quiet Trade Deadline

There aren't many teams out there in more trade rumors than the New York Jets right now.

The Jets haven't fed into all of the rumors and drama, though. New York has made just one trade and it wasn't as if the deal wasn't mailing it in. The Jets traded Michael Carter II -- which makes sense because Jarvis Brownlee Jr. is an option for the team already to replace him -- for John Metchie III. He's a young receiver with upside who could get targets in this offense right away.

There have been rumors for weeks about stars like Breece Hall, Quinnen Williams, and Jermaine Johnson II, among others. After beating the Cincinnati Bengals, the idea of massive moves has cooled, though. The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt threw some cold water on blockbuster deals and this is for the best. The Jets could make a statement this fall by committing to their young roster.

"There are things the Jets will be debating internally leading up to Tuesday’s trade deadline, about running back Breece Hall and a host of other notable players on the roster that teams have called — or will be calling — about," Rosenblatt said. "The Jets already let defensive end Jermaine Johnson know he’s part of their plans, in light of trade rumors. Teams have been calling about defensive tackle Quinnen Williams too, according to team and league sources, but the Jets are not seriously entertaining the prospect of trading him."

The Jets should stay the course

Oct 26, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; New York Jets running back Breece Hall (20) celebrates during the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The buzz around the national media has continued to be mock trades or other things like that with the Jets' biggest stars. But, people around the team, like Rosenblatt and ESPN's Rich Cimini, have made it sound like headline-grabbing deals aren't coming, which is for the best.

When Aaron Glenn was hired as the Jets' head coach, he talked about how building a culture takes time. We're just eight games into the Glenn era. New York has just three guys on the active roster who are 30 years old or older in Thomas Hennessy, Tyrod Taylor, and Nick Folk. It's not shocking that there are growing pains.

It's been a tough season so far, sure. But, Glenn's first season as a the defensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions went poorly as well. That Lions team went 3-13-1 and although some of those guys didn't make it through the rebuild, the core remained. That team featured guys like Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Kalif Raymond, Taylor Decker, Alex Anzalone, and others who are still around right now.

The rebuild took a few seasons, but the fact that they had talented pieces in place and then built through the draft with guys like Penei Sewell, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, Jameson Williams, and Aidan Hutchinson.

Guys like Hall, Williams, and Johnson specifically are those types of core pieces that can expedite a rebuild. Sticking with them -- and the big-name talent on the team in general -- would be a clear commitment to getting through this rebuild the right way.

Glenn has been clear all along that the process takes time. Blowing the roster arguably goes against what the team has preached all season.

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