Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen
Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
There isn't a lot to smile about right now if you're a fan of the New York Jets. They're coming off one of the worst losses of the Aaron Glenn era, with a 28-25 defeat at the hands of the previously winless Miami Dolphins.
But if Jets fans take a step back from the fact that they're starting down the barrel of another lost season and look ahead to the future, there are plenty of things to look forward to, particularly in the 2027 offseason.
The Jets will have one of the most attractive destinations for a head coach, with loads of young talent on the roster and a boatload of cap space and draft picks to work with. Not only do they have three first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, but through seven weeks of the season, a few of those picks may end up in the top 10.
New York seems to be on the fast track for a top pick, but so do the Indianapolis Colts, who dealt the Jets their 2027 first-rounder in last November's Sauce Gardner trade.
Colts' draft pick looks better and better as the weeks go by for the New York Jets
The Colts dropped to 2-5 this past weekend, same as the Jets, in a 16-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. It was their third consecutive defeat and came just a week after they fired their general manager, Chris Ballard.
Despite the struggles of Daniel Jones, who managed to throw for only 108 yards and an interception on 22 pass attempts, the Colts and head coach Shane Steichen seem to be doubling down on their starting quarterback, and won't take him out of the lineup quite yet.
Colts HC Shane Steichen: Daniel Jones is our starting quarterback.
— Mike Chappell (@mchappell51) October 26, 2026
Regardless of who is under center for Indy, they're on the fast track to nowhere. They face the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars next week, and after that, a desperate Dallas Cowboys team fighting for their lives in the NFC East. There's a good chance that they'll be 2-7 going into the trade deadline.
At that point, interim general manager Ed Dodds will likely be hitting the fire sale button. Stars Quenton Nelson, Jonathan Taylor, DeForest Buckner, and even wide receiver Josh Downs are names that have been floated as trade candidates, and those rumors will only heat up over the next two weeks.
If the Colts do end up cutting deals for all of those players, their talent level will obviously get a lot worse. For a Jets team that owns the rights to their first-round pick, they should be watching closely.
Imagine a scenario, if you will, where on draft night 2027, the Jets aren't only able to land their quarterback of the future, but also able to pair him with a pass catcher like Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith? That could make even the most stone-hearted of fans giddy with excitement about the potential.