Whether or not the New York Jets can win a championship under the ownership of Woody Johnson is debatable, but they can certainly be better than they were last season.
After a disappointing and dysfunctional 2024 campaign, the Jets brought in general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn to help guide the team’s turnaround. Now, as the league’s free agency period approaches, the Jets are shedding baggage.
The Jets released veteran wide receiver Davante Adams on Tuesday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Adams, who had an untenable $38.2 million salary cap hit, clears up $29.9 million in cap space. New York has $52.4 million in salary cap space, per Over The Cap estimations. That figure, which is the ninth-highest in the league, should give them plenty of flexibility to bolster the roster in the coming weeks.
Here are some moves the Jets can make to begin their trek back to relevancy.
5. Trade for QB Hendon Hooker
The Jets will need a new quarterback after moving on from Aaron Rodgers, but they’ll still have to be wise about their spending. Releasing Rodgers with a post-June 1 designation will save $9.5 million in cap space but also inflict a dead cap charge of $14 million.
The Jets still have Tyrod Taylor on their roster, but they’d be wise to bring in several passers to create a true quarterback competition. Detroit Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker is currently an unproven backup, but Glenn and Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand spent two seasons with the young quarterback in Detroit.
The Jets leadership brass already has plenty of connections with the Lions’ brass, which could help them finalize a fair trade. Hooker likely wouldn’t cost much more than swapping some late-round picks.
4. Sign S Justin Reid
The Jets’ top four safeties — Chuck Clark, Tony Adams, Jalen Mills and Ashtyn Davis — are on expiring contracts. Fortunately for New York, this year’s free agency class is deep at secondary positions.
Safety Justin Reid is currently the top available safety, and he would bring championship experience and leadership to a young defense that desperately needs a culture change. The 28-year-old has spent the past few seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he helped lead Steve Spagnuolo’s aggressive defense to two Super Bowl championships.
Reid is currently projected to earn a three-year, $46.5 million deal, per Spotrac’s market value estimations.
3. Sign CB Carlton Davis III
The Jets still have top cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and nickel cornerback Michael Carter under contract, but cornerback D.J. Reed is set to hit free agency. Unlike former Jets coach Robert Saleh, Glenn’s defensive scheme relies heavily on man coverage. That means finding quality cover cornerbacks will be a priority.
Carlton Davis III is set to be one of the top cornerbacks available in free agency after an impressive 2024 season. Davis was traded to the Lions last offseason, and he immediately stepped in as the team’s top perimeter cornerback in Glenn’s defense. His season came to an abrupt ending after he suffered a broken jaw, but he’s still only 28 years old. Now, he could follow Glenn to New York and build on the success he found last season.
2. Sign DT Milton Williams
The Jets still have Quinnen Williams under contract but the next three interior defensive linemen on their depth chart are impending free agents. New York will have to find a way to replace Javon Kinlaw, Solomon Thomas and Leki Fotu, and free agency may be the best route to do so.
Defensive tackle Milton Williams provides rare pass-rushing ability from the interior, which is hard to find from a defensive tackles. He helped lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a championship last season and terrorized Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LIX.
1. Sign QB Justin Fields
The Jets will need to add more than just Hooker to their quarterback. They currently hold the No. 7 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which is likely out of range to select either Miami’s Cam Ward or Colorado’s Shadeur Sanders, who are the top two quarterback prospects.
The quarterback market is quite bare this offseason, particularly for the Jets. Sam Darnold is the top veteran available, but he likely wouldn’t want to return to the Meadowlands, where his career nearly fell apart. Similarly, veteran Russell Wilson likely wouldn’t want to reunite with Mougey, who was the Denver Broncos assistant general manager when the team cut ties with him. Daniel Jones also just left a New Jersey-based team, and it’s hard to imagine he’d want to return to play in the same stadium.
That leaves Justin Fields, who spent a majority of the 2024 season as a backup for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 26-year-old has struggled with consistency and processing ability, but he provides a dynamic rushing element that could spark New York’s offense. Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson would also be the best wide receiver he’s played with during his professional career