Jets must pivot at wide receiver after John Metchie leaves in free agency

The New York Jets have made strides this offseason, filling a ton of major holes on both their offense and defense. But there's still one weakness they've yet to address, and that's the wide receiver position.

New York didn't tender John Metchie, a receiver they acquired via trade before the deadline last year from the Philadelphia Eagles. ESPN's Rich Cimini reported that the Jets had interest in bringing him back, but the former Alabama star decided to join his college quarterback, Bryce Young, on the Carolina Panthers.

After Garrett Wilson went down with an injury this past season, the Jets struggled to find a pulse in any of their other wide receivers. It's why they were so desperate for the Indianapolis Colts to include Adonai Mitchell in the Sauce Gardner trade, and why Metchie was an underrated addition as well.

In nine games for the Jets, Metchie hauled in 29 receptions for 256 yards and two touchdowns. He certainly would've provided solid depth in New York for 2026, but as he faded out of the offense down the stretch, it was clear he was nothing more than a WR4/5.

The Jets have yet to make another move at wide receiver in free agency, but they absolutely need to. They can't risk going into the season making the same mistake they did entering 2025.

What can the Jets do on the veteran wide receiver market?

Despite being a few days into free agency already, there's still plenty of quality names available for the Jets to target at wide receiver. They're unlikely to dip into the market of high-profile veterans such as Tyreek Hill or Stefon Diggs, but a player of Darnell Mooney's caliber would make sense.

After spending the last two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, Mooney was released leading into free agency, and is now an unrestricted free agent. After a solid 2024, the former Chicago Bear fell out of favor in 2025 and ended the season with only 443 yards and a single touchdown.

On the open market, Spotrac projects Mooney to land a two-year, $15.1 million deal. Despite that, Mooney is reportedly signing a one-year, $10 million contract with the New York Giants, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. He won't be on the Jets' radar any longer, but a player of his stature still makes sense for New York at this point in free agency.

As for the WR2 option behind Wilson, the Jets are probably best suited to take a swing in the 2026 NFL Draft. The No. 16 overall pick could be a hot spot for wide receivers. Ohio State's Carnell Tate is likely to be off the board by then, but there's a chance USC's Makai Lemon or Arizona State's Jordan Tyson will be there, prime for the taking.

One thing's for sure — the Jets cannot go into the season with the way their wide receiver room is currently constructed, and hopefully, general manager Darren Mougey knows that.