3 training camp storylines that will define (or doom) the 2025 Jets

It's a fresh start for the New York Jets in Florham Park as they've kicked off training camp the past few weeks. There is a new head coach in town, a new quarterback, a new GM, and an entirely new culture being set. All of that sounds great, but the Jets aren't there yet. Health, specific units, and a handful of players are still up in the air.

There are some sure-things for the Jets right now. They have arguably the best cornerback in football, a budding superstar at wide receiver, Quinnen Williams consistently wreaking havoc upfront, and a very deep backfield to work with. Assuming no injuries (knock on wood), those are all safe bets. But aside from them, there are mostly questions.

We'll examine three storylines, in no particular order, that will significantly impact the team for better or for worse. These are the storylines to focus on as you intake news from camp, because these are the things that matter.

1. Justin Fields' performance

This is an obvious one, but it cannot be overstated. Plenty of Jets can struggle this season, and the team can get away with it. Justin Fields is not one of those players. If he struggles, so does the team. Unfortunately for the Jets, Fields has had his fair share of struggles thus far in camp.

Since returning from his strange toe injury last week, the results have been shaky at best. Each day out of camp, the problems in the passing game have been one of the highlights. On Tuesday, he struggled with ball placement and sacks.

On Thursday, he completed only 5-of-12 passes. On Friday, he couldn't convert on third down, and penalties and virtually zero production marred Saturday. So far this week, it hasn't gotten much better.

On Monday, he finished 4-of-16, also struggling to convert in the red zone at 2-of-6. On Tuesday, he was bullied by Andre Cisco and Brandon Stephens, who each had an interception on Fields. It's been rough to say the very least.

All that said, you cannot judge a quarterback based on training camp. Or, at least you and I can't (unless you are an NFL offensive coordinator, then you can). Teams aren't trying to win scrimmages during camp — they're trying to find what works and what doesn't.

The offense is giving the defense intentional looks, and vice versa. The only ones qualified to comment are the coaches inside the Florham Park walls. And the most qualified, head coach Aaron Glenn, is not worried. He was asked about Justin Fields' performance so far on Monday.

"I think he's really improving. I really do... I'm excited about that player. I'm excited about the things he's going to be able to create for us."

Aaron Glenn

So, before you panic and start watching YouTube highlights of the presumed top QB picks in 2026, settle down. We can't make any judgments until regular-season games.

2. The Jets' new defensive backs

I already mentioned Andre Cisco and Brandon Stephens. They had a standout scrimmage on Tuesday, not only picking off Fields but generally blanketing receivers all day.

Reports have indicated that they have been one of the bright spots, which is a huge development for the Jets. The pair can either unlock the Jets' defense or significantly hamper its defense.

The secondary has been one of the biggest focuses all offseason. Outside of Sauce Gardner, they needed to boost their talent and depth. They did so by adding Cisco at safety and Stephens at cornerback, a move with varying opinions.

The Andre Cisco acquisition was generally lauded as a shrewd move, signing a talented young defensive back. The Brandon Stephens move felt weird, as he struggled throughout 2024, and no one was happier to see him sign with New York than his former team, the Baltimore Ravens.

Michael Carter II is the fifth starter, which would indicate that this unit is actually quite deep, but this only works if the new additions prove to be effective.

If not, there will be plenty of open receivers down the middle of the field, as well as on the outside. So keep a close eye on how they're looking through the rest of camp.

3. The health and stability of the Jets' offensive line

This was supposed to be easy. This was supposed to be one of those "sure-things" I mentioned in my intro. Up until very recent developments, I would have included them. However, with starting left guard John Simpson nursing a back injury, I cannot describe the offense in those terms at all.

The expectation is that Simpson will return in time for the start of the season and likely before then, but back injuries can be tricky. His status is worth monitoring.

With Simpson out, the Jets have moved center Joe Tippmann over to guard and slotted in presumed backup center Josh Myers to replace him. Sounds confusing, right? When your guard goes down, you would typically expect the backup guard to take over — that's why you have them.

The Jets, however, feel more confident with Tippmann at guard and Myers at center than with Tippmann at center and either Xavier Newman or Kohl Levao at guard.

The strangest part of all of this is that the Jets have kept the starting center role as an "open competition." This is despite Tippmann's excellent 2024 performance.

I'm not one to coddle athletes, but when you have a really good young player that can possibly stick around for a while, you don't antagonize them. Tippmann has proven to be a better center than Myers. It overcomplicates things when you force a competition that shouldn't exist.

For some reason, the Jets are determined to give Myers every chance to start in some capacity. The good news is, Simpson should hopefully be back soon, but it's noteworthy that a position group I may have argued was the strongest unit a week ago is now just confusing.

There's still a long way to go until Week 1. It's way too early to overreact to anything, but training camp exists for a reason. It'd be silly not to keep your peripherals on what's going on at One Jets Drive. In some shape or fashion, these days will impact the more important ones to come.

More NY Jets news and analysis: