Grading the Jets' special teams units a quarter of the way through the 2026 season

Special teams is a strange beast. On the one hand, it is so crucial that poor performance in this facet can bring down an otherwise promising contender. On the other hand, excellence here without competence in the other aspects of the game isn't enough to lift a team into a competitive unit. The latter is where the New York Jets have often lived.

When Chris Banjo joined Aaron Glenn's staff as the Jets' special teams coordinator, he was already viewed as one of the league's most promising young coaches. That reputation seemed warranted, as New York was on a historic trajectory in the realm of special teams in 2025.

Gang Green didn't end up making history, but the special teams unit was ranked No. 1 in the NFL in DVOA, proving once again that you can have an elite unit here and still finish 3-14.

Still, it was a bright spot in a season that was largely devoid of them, and something to build upon in 2026. Now that we're a quarter of the way through this season, it's time to check in and see how Banjo's unit is performing.

The New York Jets' special teams fall off has been dramatic in 2026

Kicking

There was much consternation over the Jets' kicker battle over the offseason, but over four weeks, Jason Sanders has put his stamp on the job, finally being signed to the active roster from the practice squad. Overall, Sanders has done a pretty adequate job as the placekicker and kickoff man.

Overall, the 30-year-old has gone 7-for-8 in field goal attempts, with his only miss coming from beyond 50 yards. He's gone 5-for-6 on extra point attempts, which is slightly disconcerting, as you never want to see relatively easy points left on the field.

In the kick-off game, he's been good, but not great. Sanders is tied for third in the league with five touchbacks. On top of that, he's given his coverage team a decent shot at pinning the opposition deep on returnable kicks, with an average hang time of 3.74 seconds, which ranks seventh.

While the upper echelon kickers yield an average starting field position around the 27- or 28-yard line, Sanders' average starting spot at the 30.4-yard line is tied with former Jets kicker Nick Folk and a hair better than another former Jets kicker, Jason Myers, who comes in at the 30.8-yard line. All in all, it's a decent performance.

Grade: B

Punting

It can get a little hard to separate a punter from his coverage team, but there are a few key indicators we can look at to try and isolate his performance. The first is touchbacks, which are often a result of a punter out-kicking his coverage and missing an opportunity to pin the opposition deep. For Austin McNamara, the number isn't great, nor is it horrible, with two touchbacks in 18 attempts.

With an average hang time of 4.36 seconds, McNamara ranks in the middle of the pack, neither helping nor hurting his coverage team when it comes to tracking down the returner or downing a ball deep in enemy territory.

Overall, there haven't been any really egregious shanks from McNamara, which is the biggest thing that he can control. At the same time, there's been nothing exceptional about his punting that has truly helped the New York consistently flip field position.

Grade: C

Return game

The Jets have been without former All-Pro kick returner Kene Nwangwu due to a back injury for much of the season. With five career kick return touchdowns, he's a dynamic return man, and his absence has been felt. Punter returner Isaiah Williams has stepped in and assumed the bulk of the kick return duties, but has only produced a pedestrian 24.1 yards per return.

Williams has also been underwhelming while returning punts. He's averaging just 6.8 yards per attempt, which is one of the worst marks in the league.

New York's worst special teams showing of the season came during the rainy Week 2 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, when Williams muffed two punts. He's also been tagged for an illegal fair catch call. Overall, a unit that has been electric for the Jets in the past has been solidly below average.

Grade: D

Coverage and Miscellaneous

The best way to sum this up is to look at the Jets' special teams DVOA, which, through four weeks, ranks 23rd at -3.4%. The impact plays in coverage and the underrated blocking that has sprung big returns in the past have largely been absent this season.

Gunner and special teams ace Qwan'Tez Stiggers has made some nice plays in punt coverage, but he's also committed two penalties. The Jets as a whole have committed six penalties in total, which is less than ideal at this point in the season.

We can complain about Williams poor returns or McNamara's relatively average punting performance, but the dirty little secret is that the blocking and coverage teams have done little to help either player out.

For the most part, when special teams play is noticed, it's either for very good or very bad reasons. The Jets' unit hasn't had too many plays that really draw your attention, but when they have, it's been because they've made mistakes in these areas.

Grade: D+

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow