Jets can't catch a break despite coming in last place in the AFC East

One of the positives of coming in last place in your division in the NFL is that you get matched up against other last-place teams for the following year's schedule. Of course, the New York Jets aren't so lucky.

Thanks to their abysmal 3-14 finish in 2025, the Jets have the supposed luxury of getting one of the "easier" schedules amongst their AFC East opponents. Easiest is in quotes, because you can never be 100% sure how teams will fare throughout each year in pro football.

Regardless, the Jets find themselves boasting the 12th-highest strength of schedule heading into 2026, with their opponents' win percentage sitting at .517.

Aaron Glenn is already facing a lot of pressure heading into his second year on the job in New York, and the schedule won't be doing him any favors.

Jets have 12th-hardest strength of schedule heading into 2026

In 2026, the Jets are facing the AFC West, the NFC North, the Cleveland Browns, the Tennessee Titans, the Arizona Cardinals, and, of course, their AFC East rivals twice.

The "easiest" opponents will likely be New York's peers who were picked alongside them in the top 10 of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Titans, and Cardinals all have young teams with relatively inexperienced rosters.

Those are games the Jets should absolutely be hoping to win, because from there, it only gets more difficult.

Facing all four teams in the NFC North will be tough for New York. The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears were both playoff teams in 2025, and the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings both have plenty of talent.

The AFC West, outside of the Raiders, is also another division with two playoff teams. The Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers are considered contenders in a fairly loaded AFC, and the Kansas City Chiefs can never be counted out with a healthy Patrick Mahomes at the helm.

It also doesn't help the Jets that they play in one of the more difficult divisions in the NFL, the AFC East. Both the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots were playoff teams in 2025 and have two MVP-caliber quarterbacks leading the way in Josh Allen and Drake Maye.

New York's only real hope for snapping a six-game AFC East losing streak is the Miami Dolphins, who are entering a rebuild under a new regime in 2026.

They have a few favorable matchups, and they'll need to capitalize on them if the Jets hope to have a competitive season in 2026.

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