These Jets players won't make it past January (and everyone knows it)

The New York Jets have entered the final stretch of the 2025 season. With two games remaining, the Jets are in the uncomfortable but unavoidable phase of the season where reality sets in.

Sunday's Week 17 game against the New England Patriots arrives with most of the big-picture questions already answered. The focus will be squarely on roster decisions that are coming fast.

This was an evaluation year under Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn, and the results of that evaluation are largely in. A handful of players have helped their case and positioned themselves as part of the next version of this team, while many, many others haven't.

The clock is ticking fast for the players on this list, however. Barring an unlikely change of events over the final two weeks, their futures with the Jets appear all but settled, and there’s little mystery left about where things are headed once January arrives.

These Jets players are all but certain to be gone after the season is over.

These Jets players are gone after the 2025 season

1. QB Justin Fields

Justin Fields has played his final game as a member of the Jets. That much was clear when he was benched for the second time this season following his team's Week 11 loss to the New England Patriots, and it became even clearer when he was officially placed on season-ending injured reserve this week.

Fields had expressed hesitancy about being used as a Wildcat quarterback, and the Jets seemingly had no interest in trotting him back on the field after that. They'd much rather use these final games to evaluate undrafted rookie quarterback Brady Cook instead.

The Jets still owe Fields $10 million in guarantees, making this a somewhat costly reset. They can eat $22 million in dead cap up front in 2026 or, more likely, spread that money out as a post-June 1st cut. Either way, Fields will not be on the roster next year.

2. LB Quincy Williams

The Jets had an opportunity to trade former All-Pro linebacker Quincy Williams at the deadline. The Dallas Cowboys had inquired about including him in the Quinnen Williams trade, while other teams were said to be interested.

But the Jets held firm on their fourth-round pick asking price — a price no team was realistically going to meet. That stance backfired, as Williams was briefly benched before returning to the starting lineup and continuing his underwhelming season.

Williams will be a free agent in a few months, and there's virtually no chance the Jets will look to bring him back. At this stage, it's hard to imagine Williams would want to return, either. The Jets likely should have taken the opportunity to receive something of value for him at the trade deadline.

3. SAF Tony Adams

Another Robert Saleh holdover who has likely already played his final game as a member of the Jets is safety Tony Adams. While Adams has been a frequent critic of Jets fans, the former Illinois standout is still a nice developmental story.

Adams originally signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2022, and he went on to develop into a quality-enough rotational safety. Still, he's proven over the last couple of years that he's not a starting-caliber player, and the Jets should absolutely look to upgrade.

Adams will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career this offseason, and it's highly unlikely the Jets consider bringing him back. Expect the team's safety room, minus Malachi Moore, to look very different in 2026.

4. WR Tyler Johnson

The Jets signed Tyler Johnson in the offseason, hoping to take a flier on a depth wide receiver who had flashed in limited opportunities in the past. Unfortunately, Johnson never really carved out a consistent role in the team's offense.

Through 16 weeks, Johnson has hauled in just 11 catches for 194 yards and a touchdown and has found himself as a healthy scratch on multiple occasions in recent weeks. Midseason additions Adonai Mitchell and John Metchie only immediately usurped him on the depth chart upon their arrivals.

The Jets will add to their wide receiver room in the offseason, while Johnson will likely hope to catch on with another team as a bottom-of-the-roster wideout. His one-year Jets stint has been as unremarkable as it gets.