New York Jets

The Jets carry the fourth-largest dead-cap burden in the league at $95.2M, but committed money falls sharply over the next three seasons, and $1634.1M in current cap room ranks eighth, giving the front office a real runway to work with.

22 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Four starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

Nine picks this cycle including three first-rounders across this season and next, plus 23 selections over three years with five total first-rounders, gives the Jets more top-end draft ammunition than almost any rebuilding team in the league.

• Acquired: Round 6 from Chiefs, this draft
• Acquired: Round 1 from Colts, this draft
• Acquired: Round 1 from Cowboys, this draft
• Acquired: Round 6 from Eagles, this draft
• Acquired: Round 7 from Seahawks, next draft
• Traded away: Round 7 to Chargers, next draft
• Traded away: Round 6 to Vikings, this draft
• Traded away: Round 7 to Panthers, this draft

The roster's top strength is its defensive front seven headlined by a 90-overall Davis and a rising Superstar edge in David Bailey, while the weakest spot is clearly the quarterback position where the starter grades out at 74 overall and the backup offers no confidence.

• CBhigh

  Jarvis Brownlee Jr. starts at CB1 with Brandon Stephens and D'Angelo Ponds behind him, but the unit ranks 30th in starter quality and 27th in depth, making cornerback the single most urgent upgrade on the roster.

• LThigh

  Olu Fashanu holds the left tackle job at 75 overall, ranking 27th at the starter level, making this a critical developmental position that needs either outside investment or a rapid step forward from Fashanu.

• TEhigh

  Kenyon Sadiq leads a tight end room that ranks dead last among starters at 29th, giving the offense virtually nothing as a receiving threat from the position despite adequate depth rank.

• Cmedium

  Josh Myers starts at center but ranks 22nd at his position, and the interior line lacks a reliable upgrade option behind him.

• DTmedium

  T'Vondre Sweat anchors the position at 79 overall, but the starter ranks 24th in the league, and cutting Harrison Phillips would thin an already thin rotation.

• FBmedium

  Andrew Beck is the lone fullback at 68 overall, ranking 9th of 14 at the position, limiting the effectiveness of a run-heavy scheme.

• QBmedium

  Geno Smith starts at 74 overall, ranking 26th at the position, and with Cade Klubnik as his backup the Jets carry significant risk at the most important spot on the field.

• WILLmedium

  Jamien Sherwood starts at WILL at 76 overall but the depth behind him ranks 29th in the league, leaving the position dangerously thin if he misses time.

• FSlow

  Andre Cisco holds the free safety job at 77 overall but ranks 22nd at the position, representing a moderate gap the team should eventually address.

• LEDGElow

  Will McDonald IV starts at 78 overall but ranks 21st, and depth behind him is thin, making left edge a secondary upgrade target.

• 78Harrison PhillipsDTCutting Harrison Phillips frees $6.9M against only $610K in dead money, and with T'Vondre Sweat starting and David Onyemata as the primary backup, Phillips is the third defensive tackle on the depth chart and an expendable salary.Frees $6.9M · $610.0K dead
• 76Brandon StephensCBBrandon Stephens costs $9.0M to keep but would leave $5.0M in dead money if released, and with cornerback ranking 30th in starter quality, that $9.0M is better redirected toward a genuine upgrade at the position rather than kept on a 76-overall backup.Frees $9.0M · $5.0M dead
• 73Jordan MeredithLGJordan Meredith sits behind Dylan Parham at left guard and is the second backup on the depth chart, so releasing him for $3.5M in savings with zero dead money is a clean roster-economics win.Frees $3.5M · $0 dead
• 73Kingsley EnagbareREDGEKingsley Enagbare backs up David Bailey at REDGE and also occupies a WILL depth spot, but at 73 overall and $3.5M he costs more than a developmental player should, with only $1.5M in dead money upon release.Frees $3.5M · $1.5M dead
• 66Max MitchellLTMax Mitchell is a 66-overall backup left tackle behind Olu Fashanu, and releasing him frees $1.8M against only $180K in dead money, making him an easy cut as the Jets look to improve the LT room.Frees $1.8M · $180.0K dead

The Jets own real building blocks in Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and a defense anchored by Demario Davis, but Davis is in the final chapter of his career and cannot be counted on as a multi-year centerpiece. The offensive side of the ball is where the franchise's ceiling is truly set, and a 74-overall quarterback in Geno Smith is not the answer for sustained contention. The salary structure is punishing right now, with $95.2M in dead money ranking fourth-most in the league, but committed money drops sharply from $224.8M next season to $148.3M two seasons out and $92.2M three seasons out, meaning financial flexibility is coming. Armand Membou at 22 and David Bailey at 23 with a Superstar trait are the nucleus of the next wave, and the draft capital is substantial, with nine picks this cycle including three first-rounders between this season and next. The path forward is clearing dead weight, upgrading the quarterback and cornerback rooms, and letting the young core mature into a genuine contender within the contract windows that open up across seasons three and four.

The Jets were born in 1960 as the Titans of New York, a charter member of the upstart American Football League, founded by Harry Wismer and playing their first seasons at the Polo Grounds in upper Manhattan. Coached by Hall of Famer Sammy Baugh, the Titans went 7-7 in both 1960 and 1961 but hemorrhaged money; by 1962 the AFL had to assume the team's operating costs. In 1963 a five-man syndicate led by Sonny Werblin bought the bankrupt franchise for $1 million, renamed the team the New York Jets, switched the colors to green and white, and hired Weeb Ewbank as coach and general manager. The defining moment came after the Jets signed Alabama quarterback Joe Namath to a then-record three-year, $427,000 contract in January 1965. New York posted its first winning record in 1967, won the AFL Championship in 1968, and then pulled off one of the greatest upsets in sports history: three days after Namath 'guaranteed' a win, the Jets beat the heavily favored Colts 16-7 in Super Bowl III on January 12, 1969, as roughly 18-point underdogs. Namath was MVP; the victory legitimized the AFL ahead of the 1970 merger. It remains the franchise's only Super Bowl appearance and only championship. Since then the arc has been mostly frustration punctuated by flashes: the 'New York Sack Exchange' defensive line and playoff berths in the early 1980s, a Bill Parcells-led resurgence and 1998 AFC title-game run, and back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances in 2009 and 2010 under Rex Ryan. The Jets have not returned to the playoffs since that 2010 run, the longest active postseason drought in North America's major men's sports leagues, pushed to 15 straight seasons by their 2025 elimination.