New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson says there is no reason his team shouldn’t make the playoffs this season, calling it “very realistic” after telling ESPN that a successful season for the Jets means qualifying for the postseason.
“I think it should happen. I’ll say that. It’s our job to go play ball and do it, but that’s how I feel about it,” Wilson said.
The stakes are steep. New York went 3-14 last season, has not posted a winning record since 2015, and hasn’t made the playoffs since 2010 — the longest active postseason drought in American professional sports.
Head coach Aaron Glenn has overhauled his staff heading into this year, parting ways with offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand after the 2025 season and moving on from defensive coordinator Steve Wilks in December. Frank Reich, who previously ran offenses for the Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers and Stanford, takes over as offensive coordinator. Brian Duker, a former defensive assistant with the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions who worked under Glenn in Detroit from 2021-23, is now the defensive coordinator.
New Faces on Both Sides of the Ball
On offense, the Jets brought back quarterback Geno Smith, who started his career in New York from 2013-16, in a trade from the Las Vegas Raiders. They also signed guard Dylan Parham to a two-year, $16 million deal, drafted Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq at No. 16 overall, and traded up to select Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper at No. 30.
Defensively, New York took Texas Tech defensive end David Bailey with the No. 2 overall pick, acquired safety Minkah Fitzpatrick from Miami, and re-signed linebacker Demario Davis — another Jets alum from 2012-15 and 2017 — to a two-year, $22 million contract. The team also added cornerback Nahshon Wright on a one-year, $3.5 million deal and defensive linemen Joseph Ossai (three years, $34.5 million), David Onyemata (one year, $10.5 million) and Kingsley Enagbare (one year, $9 million).
Wilson, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Ohio State who signed a four-year, $130 million extension in July 2025, wants fans to know the losing has taken a toll on the players who’ve stuck it out.
“Something is going to happen this year. I’m a faithful guy, and I believe that. With the work we’ve been putting in, we have as good an opportunity as anybody in the league. I’m excited, man. We have a hell of a group here.”
Wilson also said the team’s long struggles “weigh” on those who have worn the Hess colors for years. His own 2025 season was cut short by a knee injury that limited him to seven games, in which he caught 36 passes for 395 yards and four touchdowns. Over his first three healthy seasons, from 2022-24, he averaged 93 receptions, 1,083 receiving yards and 4.7 touchdowns per year without missing a game.
New York opens the 2026 regular season on the road against the Tennessee Titans, now coached by Robert Saleh — the same man who led the Jets from 2021-24.
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