We’re under 24 hours away from the Jets kicking off training camp practices in the second season under head coach Aaron Glenn. Before they take the field, though, Gang Green is expected to have players and coaches speak to the media beforehand during report day.
As is the case every year, there are significant questions that must be answered by both player and coach.
In the case of Glenn, there are three questions that the Jets’ HC will need to answer more than any other.
3. What will competition look like in 2026?
Last season, New York was willing to talk a big game about the competition brought forth in training camp at every position. In reality, though, the camp battles were nothing more than fodder to get people focused on each role.
For example, Joe Tippmann and Josh Myers both competed for the starting center job as organized by Glenn. Within the first week, it was clear Tippmann had won the job. Yet New York kept the battle going well into the later stages of camp.
Did that help the Jets in the long term due to the fact that Tippmann was moved to guard anyway? Of course. But at the time, it was seen as unnecessary competition for a good player, while other positions didn’t receive the same treatment.
One of the big things Glenn will have to answer this camp is what each competition will look like. It’s clear the Jets won’t force Geno Smith to compete for the starting job, but what about at safety, linebacker and cornerback? What about at wide receiver?
New York has plenty of 53-man roster battles to keep an eye on. It will be up to Glenn to determine how serious they end up being.
2. How concerning is T’Vondre Sweat’s injury?
To say that the Jets’ run defense last year was bad would be an understatement. Among their many issues on defense, their inability to control the line of scrimmage was perhaps their most troublesome.
That’s why the team acquired nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat in a deal with the Titans earlier in the offseason.
Ranked as one of the best interior defensive linemen in the league against the run, Sweat is expected to help stabilize the front seven of the Jets’ defense, while also growing his own game as a situational pass rusher.
There’s just one problem: a calf injury is said to place Sweat on the NFI, according to The Athletic‘s Zack Rosenblatt on Saturday.
Sweat won’t be available to start camp for a brand-new defense that he is learning on the fly. That means there are crucial reps he simply won’t receive. It could take some time for him to gel with his teammates as well.
Glenn will need to be forthcoming on this injury: how it happened before camp, and how long the team expects him to be out. Both questions are important. And both are things the fanbase deserves to know.
1. Will Geno Smith’s offseason antics be an issue?
New York will tell the world that the last month has been business as usual. That there will be no distractions for the team as they take the field for practices. That Geno Smith is still their guy to lead the roster in 2026.
But no one can ignore what the last month has brought.
Legal allegations and three speeding violations have followed Smith since rejoining the team in his second stint. While the Jets have loved what they have seen from the veteran on the field, the issues off it cannot be ignored.
Whether Glenn wants to or not, he will have to answer for the last few weeks of Smith’s off-field drama. Addressing it right away could bring a swift end. Anything less, and it becomes a bigger story altogether.
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