Will McDonald may seal his Jets fate as disappointing 2025 season continues

The New York Jets' defense was so bad in the 2025 season that defensive coordinator Steve Wilks didn't even make it to the end of the year before getting fired. The team has not intercepted a pass this season, but the biggest problem with this unit is how lifeless the pass rush has looked at times.

Between Jermaine Johnson II getting his feet back under him after his Achilles injury and Will McDonald stagnating from a developmental point of view, the Jets simply can't get to the quarterback regularly enough to generate any errant throws. The future of this defensive line has changed dramatically.

In the span of just one season, McDonald went from an ascending young player who would be a part of the solution in New York to someone who is not guaranteed much of anything in the 2026 season and beyond.

Rich Cimini of ESPN wrote that the decision to possibly extend McDonald, which was once thought to be a locked-in certainty, now "will require some careful thought." McDonald's lack of development is one of the main reasons the Jets' pass rush and overall defense are among the worst in the league.

Will McDonald may not earn extension with Jets after brutal 2025 season

McDonald is leading the Jets with seven sacks (one year after recording 10 takedowns) in 2025, but six of them came in two games against the Steelers and Browns. A pass rush specialist getting exactly one sack in nine games is simply unacceptable production, irrespective of scheme.

McDonald was never going to be a good run defender due to his lack of size, but the fact that he has been the absolute worst run defender in the league over the last two seasons is an alarming trend. After failing to put on the weight that many Jets talent evaluators expected him to, McDonald is floundering.

2025 has confirmed that McDonald is not a starting defensive end in the NFL, as he is better suited to someone who exclusively rushes the passer on a limited number of snaps. With oodles of cap space and four Top 50 picks, the Jets will have plenty of ammunition to replace him, should they want that.

Picking McDonald over Seattle Seahawks star Jaxon Smith-Njigba was yet another masterclass in talent evaluation from Joe Douglas. McDonald was given a chance to establish himself as a long-term starter in Aaron Glenn's defense, and he blew that opportunity.