Former Jets post-Week 6 check-in: Sauce Gardner may have gotten his GM fired

The New York Jets have gotten off to the 2026 season to the tune of a 2-4 record, and quite frankly, that's probably about where most fans would have expected them before the start of the season.

Sure, they could just as easily be 3-3 if not for a blown lead against the Green Bay Packers, but all things considered, it's not a horrendous start to the year.

But it's only human to take a look around the league and wonder where the Jets would be right now, with some familiar faces still in the mix. How are some ex-Jets doing in their new digs?

Former New York Jets check-in after Week 6 games

Robert Saleh, Tennessee Titans

The ex-Jets head coach is winless no more. After starting the season 0-5 with the Tennessee Titans, Robert Saleh picked up his first win with an impressive AFC South road win against the Indianapolis Colts, winning at Lucas Oil Stadium with a final score of 26-20.

While some fans may not want to see their former head coach succeed, they have to give him a round of applause for this one. Saleh dropped the Colts to 2-4 on the 2026 season, making their first-round pick even better for the Jets.

Jermaine Johnson, Tennessee Titans

The ex-Jets first-round draft pick had started off the season rather slowly in Tennessee. Despite reuniting with his former head coach, Johnson has recorded a Pro Football Focus pass-rush grade of 50.8 in 2026, ranking 109th out of 115 qualified players.

It hasn't been a great year for Jermaine Johnson, but he did burst onto the scene with a two-sack outing against the Colts in Week 6. If anything, he also played a role in improving the Jets' draft position, so thanks, Jermaine.

Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers

No one is going to confuse Aaron Rodgers for the quarterback he once was in the prime of his career, especially right now. But you can't say he isn't playing well enough to put the Pittsburgh Steelers in a position to win week in and week out.

In Week 6, old man Rodgers helped lead Pittsburgh to a 26-19 overtime victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, improving the Steelers to 4-2 on the season. Rodgers is tied for fourth in the league in touchdown passes with 12.

Quinnen Williams, Dallas Cowboys

The grass isn't always greener. One of the best Jets of the modern era, Quinnen Williams, is having a very Jetsian start to his 2026 season with the Dallas Cowboys. Not only is his team at 2-4, just like New York, but Williams is off to a fairly auspicious start to the year himself.

Despite being paid like one of the league's best, Williams is currently ranked as PFF's 47th-best defensive tackle, with an overall grade of 63.4. There's still plenty of time for Dallas and Williams to turn things around, but that 2027 first-round pick is starting to look a little juicy.

Sauce Gardner, Indianapolis Colts

Another former Jets defensive star, Gardner, is off to a rough start to the 2026 season. Not only has his play taken a step back, grading out as PFF's 54th-best cornerback in the league, but the general manager who made the decision to trade two first-round picks for him at last year's deadline, Chris Ballard, just got shown the door.

To make matters worse, Gardner is now dealing with a calf injury that will sideline him for the foreseeable future. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said he's "week-to-week." It really is the trade that keeps on giving for Jets fans.

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