New York Jets Land Bold Prediction Ahead of 2026 Season

The New York Jets enter the 2026 season after struggling mightily in 2025, going 3-14. While the Jets had a bad season, they have added more young talent to the roster and could be more competitive.

With the upgraded roster, Jacob Robinson of The Athletic has predicted that they will finish with a 7-10 record. While that wouldn't get them into the playoffs, it would be a major improvement from the 2025 season.

New York landed David Bailey and Kenyon Sadiq in the first round of the draft, adding talented pieces to their offense and defense.

Bailey was the second overall pick after an All-American season at Texas Tech, as he finished with 52 total tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and three pass deflections. He will be a key piece on the Jets' defensive line moving forward and should be a contributor in his rookie campaign.

Sadiq will instantly be one of the top weapons for New York's offense as he hauled in 51 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns for Oregon in the 2025 season.

While Bailey and Sadiq were the major additions for the Jets, they also added to their quarterback room with the acquisition of Geno Smith and the selection of Cade Klubnik in the fourth round.

Smith struggled in the 2025 season for the Las Vegas Raiders, completing 67.4 percent of his passes for 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. Although the veteran struggled, he could be a good bridge quarterback for the Jets. 

Klubnik could also be an option at some point of the season, as he had a stellar college career at Clemson, completing 64 percent of his passes for 10,123 yards, 73 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions while rushing for 878 yards and 17 touchdowns.

If Smith struggles early in the season, they could give Klubnik a look as their starting quarterback.

While general manager Darren Mougey and New York still have work to do to become a playoff team, they have a young core and three first-round picks in 2027 to continue adding to their roster.