3 biggest winners (and 3 major losers) of the Jets offseason

The New York Jets have had a busy offseason, to say the least. After a 3-14 campaign, the team needed to add talent, and they did just that in free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft.

But as there always is with player additions or departures, there are clear winners and losers. Some stand to gain a lot on the new-look Jets, while others may have taken a few steps in the wrong direction.

Who inside the Jets organization (or someone no longer with the team) stands to benefit the most from this offseason? And who is starting behind the eight-ball with roughly a month to go before training camp?

Biggest winners and losers coming out of the Jets offseason

Winner: QB Geno Smith

The Jets practically rescued Geno Smith this offseason from the Las Vegas Raiders. Yes, he's coming off one of the worst seasons of his long NFL career, but the cupboard was fairly barren in Vegas last season. New York's retooled offense should give the former Jets draft pick the tools to succeed.

Heading into 2026, Smith is getting one last shot as a starting quarterback, and he's doing it with a young and talented supporting cast. The offensive line is above-average at worst, and his array of weapons is deep at wide receiver, running back, and tight end.

Winner: LB Jamien Sherwood

You may think Jamien Sherwood should be considered a loser, thanks to the addition of veteran linebacker Demario Davis in free agency. In reality, it's the complete and total opposite.

With Davis stepping in and wearing the green dot for the Jets defense in 2026, Sherwood can revert back to the weak-side linebacker role he thrived in next to C.J. Mosley at the start of his career. It should take some of the pressure off him and allow Sherwood to play more freely.

Winner: HC Aaron Glenn

Aaron Glenn is on the hot seat heading into 2026. It should be expected, considering how woeful the Jets were in 2025 and how badly they were getting blown out to close out the regular season.

Considering all of the meaningful additions the Jets have made this offseason, the talent level has at minimum been taken up a notch, and Glenn has no excuse not to field a competent team, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

Loser: QB Brady Cook

Before free agency began, the Jets only had two quarterbacks on their roster in Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe. Then, they traded for Geno Smith and drafted Clemson QB Cade Klubnik in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Most NFL teams only carry three quarterbacks on their roster in the regular season, and it's starting to feel like Cook is the odd man out. Considering the way he finished the 2025 season as the starter, there's a good chance he's just not an NFL quarterback.

Loser: Ex-OC Tanner Engstrand

It was a bit of a surprise when the Jets fired their offensive coordinator in January. Tanner Engstrand wasn't perfect in his first season as an NFL playcaller, but he wasn't working with a whole lot. The quarterback play was awful, and he barely had any talent at wide receiver.

Still, he managed to find a way to scheme up a decent running offense, but it wasn't enough for him to keep his job. It would've been interesting to see how Engstrand performed in Year 2 with a much more talented offense to work with, but Glenn wanted an experienced offensive coordinator.

Loser: Jets' 2025 draft class

Seriously, take your pick. Every draft pick outside of Armand Membou is facing some level of competition this summer, and several players may even be on the roster bubble. Mason Taylor is the only one who is likely to still have a decent role, despite the addition of Kenyon Sadiq.

Cornerback Azareye'h
Thomas, wide receiver Arian Smith, safety Malachi Moore, and edge Tyler Baron are all facing uphill climbs for starting roles. It's not a great look for general manager Darren Mougey's inaugural draft class, and Jets fans are hoping his 2026 class is miles better.

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