Jets face a difficult path towards proving their believers are right
Gregg Rosenthal is buying into the Jets ahead of 2026, even with significant hurdles standing between New York and legitimacy in the AFC.
The New York Jets are no strangers to offseason optimism. Often, spring seems to arrive with some version of renewed hope, fresh messaging, and declarations that this time will be different. That’s part of the franchise’s annual ritual at this point.
What makes this latest wave of optimism slightly more interesting is the sources those theories are coming from. NFL analyst Gregg Rosenthal suggested the Jets could "shock the world" in 2026. That's a bold endorsement for a team that still has more questions than answers.
That phrase naturally grabs attention because shocking the world implies far more than modest improvement. It suggests relevance. It suggests this team is expected to be in contention.
Is a legitimate playoff push a reasonable goal for a Jets team trying to climb in a crowded AFC? If so, that’s no small prediction. Belief is one thing for the Jets, execution is another To "shock the world", the Jets would need to become something much different than what they’ve recently shown.