The New York Jets’ 2025 NFL season will be remembered for all the wrong reasons, but as the dust settles after a historic loss in Buffalo, a glimmer of hope emerges for long-suffering fans. On January 4, 2026, the Jets closed out their campaign with a 35-8 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium—a loss that not only cemented one of the most miserable seasons in franchise history but also secured the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. For a team desperate for a turnaround, the offseason now represents a rare opportunity to rebuild from the ground up.
The stage was set for heartbreak and new beginnings in Orchard Park, New York. The Bills, already playoff-bound and celebrating the final regular-season game at their storied stadium, rested most of their starters. Star quarterback Josh Allen played just a single snap—enough to extend his streak to 122 consecutive starts—before handing the reins to backup Mitchell Trubisky. Trubisky made the most of his chance, torching the Jets’ defense by completing 22 of 29 passes for 259 yards and four touchdowns. Running back Ray Davis, also a backup, gashed the Jets for 151 yards on 21 carries, while Ty Johnson contributed both a rushing and receiving touchdown.
Meanwhile, the Jets’ offense sputtered from the opening whistle. Rookie quarterback Brady Cook, an undrafted free agent thrust into the starting role for the fourth consecutive week, completed just 50% of his passes for a paltry 60 yards. The Jets managed only nine first downs and 122 total yards, averaging a meager 2.7 yards per play. Their only bright spot came late, when Cook found Andrew Beck for a 2-yard touchdown, and then connected with Quentin Skinner for a two-point conversion—avoiding a shutout but doing little to change the narrative of a lost season.
“Remember the feeling,” Jets edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II told reporters after the game, reflecting on the bitter taste of defeat as Buffalo’s fans and players celebrated their playoff berth. “That’s all I was thinking as the fans for Buffalo and the players were enjoying that time. I was just sitting out there as they were kneeling [to end the game] and I was just saying, ‘Remember this feeling.’ It’s been an ugly season. That’s something I never want to be a part of again.”
Johnson’s sentiment echoed throughout the Jets’ locker room, where rookie head coach Aaron Glenn faced the music in a cramped interview room. “This season is on me,” Glenn admitted. “I let the players down, I let the organization down. And that burns me. But here’s what I do know: I know the reason why I came here, and I am not going to waver from my beliefs on what I think wins games in this league. I am very confident in myself, I’m very confident in this organization, very confident in our owner. I’m very confident in ‘Moug’ [general manager Darren Mougey] and we’re gonna work our ass off to get this s–t exactly where it needs to be.”
Despite Glenn’s willingness to shoulder the blame, Johnson insisted that the responsibility was shared. “It’s definitely been the worst season I’ve been a part of as a team … and the key word is ‘a part of,’” he said. “I’ve got my hands in it. My hands are bloody. Everybody’s hands are bloody in this. So, for him to say that’s on him, I don’t fully agree. Everyone’s hands are dirty.”
The numbers behind the Jets’ collapse are staggering. Their 3-14 record ties for the third-worst in franchise history, joining the infamous 1996 (1-15) and 2020 (2-14) campaigns. Over their final five games, the Jets were outscored by 134 points, losing each contest by at least 23 points. The defense, a hallmark of futility, finished the season without a single interception—the first time any NFL team has gone an entire season without a pick since the league began tracking the stat in 1933. They also ranked near the bottom in sacks, passing touchdowns allowed, and rushing defense, compounding the misery for fans and coaches alike.
On the offensive side, things were just as bleak. Cook, thrown into the fire due to injuries and roster limitations, finished his stretch as starter with only one touchdown pass and seven interceptions over four starts and a long relief appearance. The Jets’ pop-gun offense, even against a Bills defense comprised mostly of backups, could muster only 122 yards and one late touchdown. Their inability to move the ball was glaring, especially with star running back Breece Hall sidelined for the finale.
Yet, in the midst of despair, a silver lining emerged. The Jets’ loss, coupled with a stunning upset by the New York Giants over the Dallas Cowboys earlier that day, vaulted the Jets into the No. 2 spot in the upcoming draft. It’s a bittersweet reward for a season of suffering, but one that could shape the franchise’s future. The Giants’ win also improved the value of a second-round pick the Jets acquired from Dallas in the Quinnen Williams trade, now sitting at No. 44 overall. With two high picks, ample cap space, and a fan base desperate for hope, the Jets enter the offseason with the tools needed for a dramatic turnaround—if they can make the right decisions.
This draft positioning is more than just a consolation prize. With the Las Vegas Raiders holding the No. 1 pick and widely expected to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the Jets will have their pick of the second-best quarterback in a class that could include Oregon’s Dante Moore, should he declare after the College Football Playoff. For a team that has cycled through quarterbacks and struggled to find stability under center, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
The end of the 2025 season also marks 15 consecutive years without a playoff appearance for the Jets, the longest active drought in the NFL. The franchise’s tortured history was on full display in Buffalo, where they bookended the 53-year history of the stadium by losing both the first and last regular-season games played there. It’s a cruel symmetry for a team and its fans, but one that also offers a chance to finally break the cycle.
As Monday, January 5 dawns, the page turns for the Jets. The agony of a 3-14 season is undeniable, but the future is unwritten. With draft capital in hand and a new offseason ahead, the Jets have a rare opportunity to chart a new course. For a franchise starved for success, the next few months will be critical—and for once, Jets fans have reason to believe that better days could be just around the corner.
