The New York Jets are grinding through training camp this month, trying to build something out of the wreckage of a 3-14 season. Most national analysts aren’t picking them to sniff the playoffs. Kyle Brandt tried to pitch that idea on “Good Morning Football” anyway — and got told it was too much of a reach.
Brandt, the longtime NFL Network host, recounted the moment on X, formerly Twitter, explaining he wanted the show to seriously debate whether the Jets could land a Wild Card spot in 2026.
“I thought that the question should be, ‘How do the Jets get a Wild Card in 2026? Just a Wild Card?’ I was shot down on that suggestion for that being too unrealistic of a question to pose, and I’m not making this up. We had people on this staff like, ‘I don’t know, that’s a little crazy.'”
This morning I suggested the possibility of a certain team getting a Wild Card this year.
I was told it’s too unrealistic to even ask on the air.
Guess the team…. pic.twitter.com/uT0Bs9m449
— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) August 6, 2026
His producers, by his telling, didn’t think a Jets Wild Card question belonged on the show’s rundown at all — a small moment, but one that captures where the football world currently has this team parked.
Why Nobody’s Buying the Jets Right Now
The skepticism traces straight back to last November. At the 2025 trade deadline, the Jets blew up their own defense, sending All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts and star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys in the same afternoon. Gardner brought back two first-round picks and receiver Adonai Mitchell. Williams brought back a 2026 second-rounder, a 2027 first-rounder and defensive lineman Mazi Smith.
Those moves loaded New York up with future draft capital, but they gutted a defense that had finished third in the league in total yardage allowed back in 2024. This past season, that unit collapsed to 25th — part of the reason the Jets finished 3-14 and searched for answers on both sides of the ball.
Despite that record, owner Woody Johnson opted not to make a change at head coach. Aaron Glenn is back for Year 2, and by multiple accounts he’s taking a more hands-on approach this time, planning to call the defense himself after operating more like a CEO-style coach in his debut season.
Geno Smith’s Return Adds Another Variable
The other major swing factor is at quarterback. New York traded for Geno Smith from the Las Vegas Raiders in March, reuniting the franchise with the QB it originally drafted in the second round back in 2013. It’s not an obvious bounce-back story on paper — Smith led the NFL in interceptions with 17 during a rough 2025 campaign in Las Vegas.
Still, early training camp reports out of Florham Park have been more encouraging than the box score from last season would suggest. Smith has connected well with receiver Garrett Wilson and new target Adonai Mitchell during the first weeks of camp, and offensive coordinator Frank Reich has praised his command of the new system.
| Category | 2025 Season | 2026 Offseason Change |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 3-14 | Roster reshaped via trades and draft |
| Head Coach | Aaron Glenn (Year 1) | Retained for Year 2, now calling defense |
| Starting QB | Justin Fields / others | Geno Smith acquired via trade from Raiders |
| Defense | 25th in total defense | Lost Gardner, Williams; added draft capital |
Is a Wild Card Actually Realistic?
Brandt’s producers aren’t wrong to be cautious. The Jets haven’t made the playoffs in 15 years, the longest active drought in the league, and they’re replacing key defensive pieces with rookies and mid-round additions rather than proven starters. Vegas oddsmakers and most national outlets have New York projected near the bottom of the AFC East again this fall.
But every season produces a surprise team or two that outperforms its preseason forecast, and the Jets do have real talent to build around — Wilson, running back Breece Hall, and a young offensive line getting another year of reps together. Whether that’s enough to flip a 3-14 team into a Wild Card contender is the exact debate Brandt wanted to have on national television. For now, it’s a conversation happening more in his X replies than on the actual broadcast.
