The NFL just found another way to highlight the Jets' ineptitude

In a rare moment of compassion, the NFL just came through clutch for New York Jets fans who use Sunday morning to catch up on sleep.

The league formally announced its 2026 International Games slate on Wednesday, and the Jets are nowhere to be found.  

For the first time since 2023, the Jets won’t play in London, nor are they headed to France, Australia, or any of the other countries that’ll host a game this fall.

On the one hand, good luck finding Jets fans bothered by the news, especially given the league’s oversaturation of international contests.

However, let the Jets’ lack of an international game only serve as further proof of how far the organization has fallen.

The NFL just sent the Jets a clear message regarding their reputation

So much for the long-standing idea that major-market teams are guaranteed standalone games regardless of their record or preseason expectations.

In fairness, outside of the Cowboys, this isn’t as significant a problem in the NFL as it is in baseball or basketball.

It’s nonetheless telling that, despite a record nine international games, the Jets and Giants are staying stateside all year.

Jets owner Woody Johnson has significant ties to the United Kingdom, having served as the United States’ ambassador from 2017 to 2021 during Donald Trump’s first presidency.  

Considering that England gets the Jaguars twice a year, it’s also entirely possible the NFL didn’t want to get too repetitive with the three-game London slate.

Roger Goodell and the NFL are prioritizing sending quality teams overseas rather than those who play in bigger markets.

What reason would the league have had to send the Jets to Europe? Outside of finding new memes, the Jets aren’t exactly the most intriguing team to watch come Week 1.

To be clear, fans would attend those games regardless. The experience itself likely matters far more than who is at quarterback.

And, of course, those in the United States will always watch those games regardless of when they start—and so long as they can watch amid the growing trend of streaming-only games.

None of this is to say that the Jets’ omission from the international slate is a bad thing. The NFL is doing what it believes will best help grow the game.

The fact that neither the Jets nor Giants fit that bill, at least in 2026, says far more than any British slang term for “embarrassing” possibly could.

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