John Simpson’s blunt comments remind Jets fans of a painful truth

The New York Jets, without a playoff appearance since the 2010 season, have been trapped in a never-ending rebuild. They’re on their sixth head coach in that span, have cycled through a litany of quarterbacks, and produced just one winning season, a 10-6 campaign in 2015. The results have been unremarkable.

Things don’t look much better in 2025. The Jets are already 0-2 under the Aaron Glenn regime, and a 30-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 2 showed how far they are from turning things around, with poor play on both sides of the ball.

Still, Glenn is tasked with resetting the culture of a struggling team. Guard John Simpson acknowledged the reality of finding their footing while speaking with SNY, saying the following.

"It'll come. These times that we're going through now are going to create good times in the future. We need continuity, to continue to gel. We've got to keep putting our head down, go to work, and do your job."

John Simpson

Accountability only goes so far if discipline continues to unravel on the field, and the early weeks have already offered two costly examples.

John Simpson knows the Jets still have a long way to go

Glenn has brought accountability to the Jets, something often talked about before, but his perception is that of a no-nonsense leader, which the team needed after poor discipline contributed to a disastrous 2024 season.

That remains an early issue to resolve, from Xavier Gipson’s disastrous kickoff return fumble in Week 1 that set up the Steelers’ game-winning drive and led to his release, to Micheal Clemons’ costly penalty in Week 2, which extended Buffalo’s drives and put the game in their control early.

It's clear that part of the equation isn't an overnight fix.

But then there’s the roster, largely built up by former GM Joe Douglas, yet still hampered by glaring flaws at quarterback and wide receiver that remain works in progress. To his credit, Douglas did try to balance those shortcomings by investing in the trenches, aiming for stability up front.

The Jets focused on strengthening the offensive line in the offseason and patched other holes across the roster in a bid for stability. None of the moves were flashy, but players like Armand Membou already look like strong additions. Though even with those upgrades, the skill positions remain thin.

It will take time to add more talent around Garrett Wilson at receiver and to solidify the quarterback spot. That answer could still be Justin Fields, but if things continue on this trajectory, the Jets may be picking high in 2026, with a chance to land their quarterback of the future.

The Jets’ problems won’t be fixed overnight, but how they respond in the coming weeks will say plenty about whether Glenn’s culture shift is truly taking hold.

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