The New York Jets dealing away franchise cornerstones Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner at the trade deadline says it all — the team is once again in a clear rebuilding phase.
It seems that New York has been rebuilding since its last playoff appearance in 2010, but its deadline haul may actually steer it in the right direction. The issue? It’ll take at least two years to return to playoff contention.
Trade deadline madness aside, it’s been an underwhelming season for Gang Green, as it sits at just 2-8 through 10 games. From injuries to woeful quarterback play, the Jets look destined for another top-five pick come April.
Here are positional grades for New York’s offense midway through its season:
Quarterback: D-
Justin Fields has been dreadful this season. There’s no sugarcoating it. There’s a reason head coach Aaron Glenn benched him in Week 7 against the Carolina Panthers.
Whether it’s his inability to escape avoidable sacks or throw more than 10 yards downfield, he’s been one of the worst quarterbacks in football. Many issues that plagued him in Chicago haven’t dissipated. If anything, they’ve worsened.
The result? New York’s 139.9 passing yards per game are the fewest in the league. Outside of a promising Week 1 showing against Pittsburgh, Fields has tossed for under 60 yards in a game four times and accumulated what may look like impressive yardage in garbage time when the team was down in large part due to his shortcomings.
Fields’ showing against the Denver Broncos on Oct. 12 was a microcosm of his season to this point. His 9-of-17 passing, 45 yards and nine sacks are unacceptable by all standards. Some will point to the nine sacks as the offensive line’s fault, but it was 95% Fields’ fault. The Jets’ signal caller didn’t anticipate pressure, locked onto his first-read and couldn’t hit a receiver for a five-yard screen if his life depended on it.
In a game that could’ve easily been Glenn’s first win as a head coach, Fields’ miscues led to a 13-11 loss.
Backup Tyrod Taylor wasn’t much better in his appearances against the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and New York’s pass-catchers have suffered as a result. Rookie receiver Arian Smith, while consistently creating separation and breaking free, has a measly 47 yards on the year. Fellow rookie Mason Taylor hasn’t fared much better with just 276 yards.
Weeks 1 and 8 are the only saving graces for Fields. Otherwise, this grade would be an F.
Running Back: B
Inconsistent. That’s the best adjective to describe the Breece Hall and the Jets’ ground game in 2025.
After Hall had 107 rushing yards in Week 1, he followed it up with just 29 in a Week 2 dud. The next week was even worse, as he accumulated just 21.
Hall rebounded with 81 yards against the Miami Dolphins in Week 4 and 113 against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6, but had just 59 and 38 in the next two weeks, respectively.
Talent has never been the issue with Hall. Rather, it’s been a combination of health and consistency. He’s been fully healthy in 2025, but has struggled to string together three or more quality performances consecutively. That’s what’s holding him back from the upper echelon of running backs in today’s NFL.
Isaiah Davis has been an admirable backup to Hall after Braelon Allen‘s season-ending injury, but it hasn’t made a difference. With a quarterback that can’t throw the football, there’s only so much a ground game can do.
And for the 2025 Jets, Hall and Davis just being above average isn’t enough to compensate for Fields’ woeful play.
Pass-catchers: C-
In some ways, this group deserves the benefit of the doubt. Fields has struggled to get them the ball. A second-round rookie in Taylor and a career reserve in Tyler Johnson being asked to carry the load is also an indictment of the mess former general manager Joe Douglas left behind.
But at the end of the day, what matters most is production, and New York’s pass-catchers outside of Garrett Wilson haven’t produced much this season.
Even then, Wilson hasn’t had a great year by his standards. Granted, he’s missed time due to injury, but he hasn’t recorded 100 yards in a game yet this season. On Nov. 9 against the Cleveland Browns, he was also held without a catch for the first time in his career.
Without his good friend Aaron Rodgers in the fold, Allen Lazard has just seven receptions for 45 yards. He’s been a healthy scratch on a few occasions, a testament to how underwhelming his Jets tenure has been. Other than a touchdown against the Buccaneers in Week 3, he hasn’t found the end zone all year.
When the Jets acquired former Colts receiver Adonai Mitchell in the Gardner deal at the trade deadline, they thought they’d be the ones to help rectify his career.
Through one game, that seems like a long shot.
Against the New England Patriots on Thursday night, Mitchell had not one, not two, but three costly drops in a 27-14 loss. As impressive as his separation ability is, dropping catchable passes and ruining the momentum of drives won’t cut it. And on Thursday, his showing was detrimental to a New York offense trying to find its footing.
Between Mitchell’s poor debut, Wilson’s injury, the ghost of Lazard, and Fields’ struggles, it’s been a rocky 2025 for New York’s receiver room.
Offensive Line: B+
A casual NFL fan will blame New York’s nine sacks allowed against Denver on its offensive line. In reality, it was mainly Fields stepping into pressure.
The Jets’ offensive line has been the team’s strength in 2025. Anchored by rookie phenom Armand Membou at right tackle, the unit has seen night-and-day improvement from the last few years.
Even with Alijah Vera-Tucker‘s injury before the season, the interior has been decent. Joe Tippman’s transition from center to right guard has yielded positive results, headlined by his block on Hall’s 42-yard game-winning touchdown against the Browns on Nov. 9. His 62.9 PFF grade ranks 35th of 79 eligible guards.
John Simpson isn’t the force he was last season, and Josh Myers has had an up-and-down campaign, but they haven’t been liabilities.
2024 first-round pick Olu Fashanu and Membou have been tremendous. Despite a rocky start to the year, Fashanu has settled in nicely as of late, posting a 75.3 PFF grade against New England on Thursday. His raw athletic skills have turned into production, and he should be a mainstay on the unit for years to come.
Membou has looked like a seasoned veteran since Week 1, allowing only three sacks through 10 games. According to PFF, he’s the highest graded rookie offensive lineman this season, further proof that general manager Darren Mougey struck gold in the first round.
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From Tippman to Membou, and despite interior inconsistencies, the Jets’ front five has been quite solid in 2025.
Overall Grade: D
Offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand would likely receive a B+ as well, but Fields’ inability to complete a forward pass significantly weighs this grade down.
Fields wasn’t brought in to be a total savior. The Jets were likely looking to the 2026 Draft to find their franchise QB anyway. But Fields being a liability every week has hindered this offense from even being competent.
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