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Aaron Glenn's Jets bet on Geno Smith and Frank Reich to escape AFC East basement in 2026
By David Troy
Published September 07, 2026
When a franchise goes through coaching turns, multi-year playoff droughts, and bottom-of-the-barrel divisional finishes, finding basic baseline competency becomes the top priority.
Head coach Aaron Glenn enters his second season at the helm, Frank Reich steps in as the new offensive coordinator, and veteran quarterback Geno Smith makes his homecoming under center; New York is aiming to prove that its rock-bottom transitional phase is officially behind them and that they can be a competitive presence in the AFC East.
New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn looks on during an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in London. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Last Year
The Jets endured an abysmal 2025 campaign under first-year head coach Aaron Glenn, finishing dead last in the AFC East with a 3–14 record. Breece Hall provided a rare bright spot, quietly powering his way to a 1,065-yard rushing season to keep the ground game functional. Unfortunately, the team was non-competitive down the stretch, dropping their final five games by 23 or more points each after mid-season trades cleared out key stars. The offense cycled through three starting quarterbacks without a single one breaking the 10-touchdown mark, while star receiver Garrett Wilson missed 11 games due to injury. On defense, the unit set an unwanted NFL milestone by failing to record a single interception all season.
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Offseason additions and subtractions
Recognizing that his inaugural staff and roster lacked execution, Glenn reshuffled his coaching staff—hiring former Colts head coach Frank Reich as offensive coordinator and Brian Duker on defense—while general manager Darren Mougey utilized massive cap room and draft capital. The Jets revamped their quarterback room by bringing back veteran Geno Smith to start alongside draft pick Cade Klubnik. There are still major holes they tried to fill, and I’m not sure they did a great job with it.
New York Jets quarterbacks Geno Smith and Brady Cook participate in a drill during minicamp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park, New Jersey, on June 10, 2026. (John Jones/Imagn Images)
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The Jets let quarterbacks Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor walk in free agency, while trading away depth pieces and clearing house on secondary coverage. They also traded for Minkah Fitzpatrick to try and address the secondary as much as possible.
Roster
I suppose it really doesn’t take much for the team to be considered better than last year. Geno Smith looked awful in Las Vegas, but he still should be a better passer than the run-first combination they had of Fields and Taylor from last year. If Smith can be even somewhat competent, Hall might have even more running room. The Jets offensive line ranks 21st according to PFF, so it isn’t exactly that strong of a unit.
Up front, No. 2 pick David Bailey pairs with Joseph Ossai and Will McDonald IV to revitalize the pass rush, while veteran Demario Davis commands the middle. Similar to the offense, the team just needs to create one interception to be better than last year. That doesn’t mean the roster is great, but it does mean there is a fairly easy room for improvement.
New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith greets teammates before an NFL preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)
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Betting Outlook
With all that being said, there isn’t much reason to think this team gets to five or six wins. The team has a defensive line ranked at 29th in the league. We know teams with good lines tend to fare better. Couple bad lines with a big question mark at quarterback, and a lack of talent, and the Jets shouldn’t be expected to take a huge step forward. Again, that doesn’t mean they can’t improve. It seems like they are trying to take the right steps, but I’m taking the under for their win total this season.
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https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/aaron-glenn-jets-bet-geno-smith-frank-reich-escape-afc-east-basement-2026