Garrett Wilson couldn't be prouder of Jets' offensive rookies in their debut

There were some high expectations for the New York Jets offense heading into the 2026 season, and part of that was thanks to the class of rookies they added in this past April's NFL Draft. Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq and Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr., in particular, were supposed to add another dimension to the offense.

Cooper had one big play on the Jets' opening drive, taking a Geno Smith pass behind the sticks and turning it into a 30-yard catch-and-run. Unfortunately, it was the last we would see of the young wide receiver for the rest of the day, as he exited the game with an ankle injury.

But Sadiq would help fill that void, scoring the first touchdown of the season for the Jets on that opening drive. A three-yard end-around would put the New York up 7-0, and they never relinquished that lead.

The Jets have an incredibly exciting rookie class developing, and they showed just a smidge of what they're capable of in Sunday's season opener against Tennessee.

Garrett Wilson praises New York Jets rookies' Week 1 performance

One of the elder statesmen on the Jets' offense (in terms of concurrent years served in New York) couldn't be prouder of Sadiq and Cooper. Garrett Wilson took the time to praise his young teammates after their first professional outing.

"That was that first drive, y'know, they were the ones that kept it going and punched it in the end zone... It's fun to watch, and I'm just happy for them getting their feet wet and getting that confidence, because they both deserve it and they're both going to be great players."

It wasn't exactly a league-shattering outing from either rookie. Cooper, as previously mentioned, exited the game early with the ankle after his big play, but Sadiq was a solid presence all day.

The former Oregon standout caught the first pass of the season on the opening drive, and later capped it off with the rushing touchdown. Sadiq finished the day with three catches for 21 yards and one three-yard rush.

Not to be outdone, No. 2 overall pick David Bailey had a solid first outing as well. The Texas Tech product recorded his first career sack on a Cam Ward shove out of bounds in the third quarter.

Hopefully, Cooper is able to suit up for the Jets' Week 2 outing against the Green Bay Packers, and second-round pick D'Angelo Ponds is healthy enough to make his own debut.

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