3 NY Jets players who (maybe) won't make the 53-man roster

The New York Jets are starting over in 2025 in many ways. Aaron Rodgers is gone, and Justin Fields is in. The coaching staff has also changed.

What is clear is that the team is trying to stay young and build from within. This makes sense, to a degree, as the defense should be among the best in the league again under the eye of new head coach Aaron Glenn. The offense has talent at skill positions, such as running back Breece Hall and wide receiver Garrett Wilson, and could be more efficient without Rodgers.

New York was expected to be good last year, and it was not. Talent is on the roster, but needs to be addressed early in the 2025 NFL draft. If those needs, such as defensive tackle, are filled, the players below might find themselves looking for a new team.

Three New York Jets who might have issues making the 2025 roster

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor

At this point, Taylor has bounced around the league for seemingly 50 years, and he has even started some. He is good enough to be a backup but not good enough to ever be counted on to be a long-term starter. Since he has so much experience, though, he should be a wise voice in the locker room for such a young roster.

The problem for Taylor might be what happens in the NFL draft. Justin Fields will be the starter with the Jets, but is the team wholly sold on him being the starter in four years or more? Or, if the draft gets a bit wacky, does New York take someone like Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart?

If that happens, there is no reason to keep Taylor. Fields would start, and the rookie would sit behind him for a season. Taylor could be released, and the team would save a bit over a million, or, with a post-June 1 designation, the Jets would save $3.5 million.

Punter Thomas Morstead

This one might be a bit boring, sure, but also one of the more obvious players who might not make the roster. Morstead is 39 years old, which is old for a player at any position in the NFL. The team also signed Austin McNamara to a two-year deal this offseason (though releasing him would cost the team no money). McNamara has yet to punt in the NFL, but he is also just 24 years old.

If there is any chance that McNamara does as well as Morstead in camp, there is little reason to keep Morstead. No one will probably pick him up, and if McNamara doesn't produce when the real games begin, the team could probably bring Morstead back. Still, McNamara could be the Jets punter in five years, and Morstead won't be playing anywhere.

Defensive tackle Leonard Taylor III

Taylor was somewhat effective as an undrafted free agent last year, but he will never be more than a rotational piece. He also has some deficiencies that a defensive lineman cannot have. For one, he is a poor tackler (he whiffed on 15.4 percent of his tackle attempts in 2024). He is also not great against the run.

Moving on from Taylor might not happen if the Jets do not address the defensive line early in the 2025 draft, but that will likely occur. New York has a good defense, but the strength is not the overall D-line. The Jets need interior defensive linemen who can be more consistent in getting inside pass rush, and taking a couple of those players in the draft could push Taylor off the team.

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