The New York Jets officially punted on the 2025 season by trading away two of their biggest stars on Tuesday, but general manager Darren Mougey insists he does not see it that way.
The Jets stunned the NFL when they traded All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. They acquired two first-round picks in that deal. New York then traded star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys and landed another first-round pick and a second-round pick.
In other words, the Jets are in total rebuild mode. Mougey is just not going to admit that.
“I wouldn’t call it a teardown,” Mougey said after the trade deadline, via ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
Mougey then made the laughable claim that the Jets remain focused on trying to win now.
“The goal is always to win,” the GM added. “Look, these coaches and players work too hard every day, all day, with the goal of winning on Sunday. And that never changes because that’s what the fans deserve. That’s what the players deserve, that’s what the coaches deserve, and that never changes.”
Gardner, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, signed a four-year, $120.4 million extension with the Jets over the summer. He is just 25 and one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. Williams, 27, is a three-time Pro Bowl selection. He signed a four-year, $96 million extension with New York prior to the 2023 season.
There is no way to spin trading two players like Gardner and Williams as anything other than a rebuild. The Jets got significantly worse in the short term with Tuesday’s deals, though they are now flush with draft capital. That is precisely what a teardown and rebuild looks like, no matter how Mougey wants to spin it.
The Jets are 1-7 and have looked like one of the worst teams in the NFL. Their owner’s reputation has also taken some hits recently. For now, it looks like the goal is to land as high of a draft pick as possible in 2026 and go from there.