Garrett Wilson has high standards for the New York Jets this season.
“[Making the playoffs is] very realistic,” New York’s star wide receiver said after stating that making the playoffs defines a successful season, according to ESPN. “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.”
The Jets are coming off a 3-14 season, haven’t posted a winning season since 2015 and haven’t made the playoffs since 2010, which is the longest drought in professional American sports.
As for new faces, New York has two new coordinators, as head coach Aaron Glenn parted ways with offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand after the 2025 season and moved on from defensive coordinator Steve Wilks in December of last season.
Former Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers and Stanford Cardinal head coach Frank Reich is the Jets’ new offensive coordinator, while former Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions defensive assistant Brian Duker is their new defensive coordinator; Duker was an assistant under Glenn when the latter was Detroit’s defensive coordinator from 2021-23.
On the personnel side, offensively, the Jets acquired veteran quarterback Geno Smith — who played the first four seasons of his career with the franchise (2013-16) — from the Las Vegas Raiders, signed guard Dylan Parham (two-year, $16 million deal), selected Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq with the No. 16 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and traded up to select Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Omar Cooper with the No. 30 pick.
Defensively, New York selected Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive end David Bailey with the No. 2 pick in the draft, acquired safety Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Dolphins and signed linebacker Demario Davis (two-year, $22 million deal) — who also began his career with the Jets (2012-15 and 2017) — cornerback Nahshon Wright (one-year, $3.5 million deal) and defensive ends Joseph Ossai (three-year, $34.5 million deal), David Onyemata (one-year, $10.5 million deal) and Kingsley Enagbare (one-year, $9 million deal), among other moves.
“Something is going to happen this year. I’m a faithful guy, and I believe that,” Wilson, who also expressed that the team’s struggles “weigh” on those who have been in the Hess colors for some time, said. “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, whom New York selected with the No. 10 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Ohio State and signed to a four-year, $130 million extension in July 2025, was limited to seven games last season (2025) due to a knee injury, totaling 36 receptions for 395 yards and four touchdowns across the action he saw. Over the first three years of his career (2022-24), Wilson averaged 93.0 receptions for 1,083.0 receiving yards and 4.7 touchdowns per year, while never missing a game.
Wilson and the Jets open the 2026 regular season on the road against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday afternoon. Of course, Tennessee’s new head coach, Robert Saleh, was previously New York’s head coach from 2021-24.
