New York Jets

Inaugural season: 1960

Home field: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Owner: Woody and Christopher Johnson

Team colors: Gotham green, stealth black, and spotlight white

Overview

The New York Jets are an American football team that plays in the National Football League (NFL). Within the NFL, they play in the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference (AFC). The Jets coexist with the New York Giants in the largest television market in the United States. The two teams also share use of MetLife Stadium for home games. As the younger and historically less successful of the two franchises, the Jets are regarded by some fans as akin to a little brother compared to the Giants' longer heritage. Although the two teams play in separate conferences and only play each other rarely, players and fans still like to regularly stoke the fire of the rivalry. Nonetheless, the Jets have forged their own identity in New York and created their own legacy over the decades.

The Jets were the winners of Super Bowl III in 1969—a game in which legendary quarterback Joe Namath famously guaranteed a win over the heavily-favored Baltimore Colts. However, over the following decades, the team largely earned a reputation for futility, failing to return to the Super Bowl and often struggling to even make the playoffs. Still, the commanding size of the New York metropolitan area—even as a shared market—has helped enhance the value of the team even amid on-field challenges. In 2023, Forbes magazine ranked the New York Jets as the seventh most valuable NFL franchise, with an estimated worth of $6.1 billion. By 2024, the team's estimated worth was between $6.9 billion and $7.35 billion.

The New York Jets’ value increased in 2024 largely due to the financial impact of star quarterback Aaron Rodgers joining the team, despite his limited play in 2023. His presence generated significant fan excitement, driving up demand for tickets and leading to a 14 percent increase in season ticket prices for the 2023 season, followed by another 10 percent increase for the 2024 season. This surge in revenue, combined with heightened media attention and sponsorship interest, contributed to the franchise’s overall valuation growth.

History

The Jets were initially founded in 1959 as the Titans of New York. The Titans were an original member of the American Football League (AFL), established to challenge the dominance of the NFL at a time when football was booming in popularity. AFL executives quickly recognized the value of a team in the New York marketplace, even accounting for the existing presence of an already-established team in the Giants. The AFL’s New York franchise was initially sold to Harry Wismer, a prominent radio broadcaster who had experience as a minority owner of the NFL's Detroit Lions and Washington, DC–based franchise.

Wismer selected the name “Titans” for his new team and hired Sammy Baugh, a renowned player, as its first coach. The franchise was quickly plagued by various challenges, however. The team was forced to play at New York’s Polo Grounds, an old baseball field that had been poorly maintained since the departure of the New York Giants baseball team three years prior. In addition, despite his relative wealth, Wismer lacked the financial assets of other AFL owners and he quickly fell into financial difficulty. Even worse, only five weeks into the AFL's inaugural 1960 season, Titans player Howard Glenn died from a neck injury sustained on the field. By the time the Titans finished the season, their 7–7 record seemed almost beside the point.

The franchise continued to struggle financially in its second year. After another 7–7 finish, Baugh departed—and would be the only Jets coach to leave the team with a .500 record or better until Bill Parcells in the 1990s. Baugh’s replacement, Clyde Turner, stayed just one season. Wismer lasted only a few months longer. Forced into bankruptcy, he agreed to sell the team to an investment group led by entertainment executive Sonny Werblin in 1963 for $1 million.

The new owners decided to separate themselves from Wismer’s messy legacy and started by renaming the team the Jets, which was both a nod to the team’s planned move to the new Shea Stadium, which was near LaGuardia Airport, and a general effort to bring modern connotations to the franchise. New coach Weeb Ewbank was hired to replace Turner in 1963. As the owners sought to untangle all the lingering financial problems that Wismer had left, Ewbank tried to fix the team’s on-the-field performance. Led by brash quarterback Joe Namath, the team enjoyed a magical run in 1968, going 11–3 in the regular season and winning the AFL Championship Game against the Oakland Raiders. Advancing to the third-ever competition between AFL and NFL champions—dubbed Super Bowl III—in early 1969, the Jets stunned the heavily favored Baltimore Colts, who had gone 17–1 in the NFL regular season and playoffs. Namath’s much-hyped pre-game guarantee of a win and the resulting tight game helped to invigorate both the AFL and NFL ahead of their final merger in 1970.

Although the Jets made the playoffs for a second time in 1969, they would not repeat their title win. After the AFL-NFL merger, the team was placed in the AFC East division of the new NFL. The 1970s would prove difficult, as the Jets burned through four coaches before their next playoff appearance in 1981. During this stretch, they only finished higher than third in their division on one occasion. After the 1976 season, the team moved on from Namath at quarterback, while Walt Michaels took over as coach. The Jets advanced to the playoffs in 1981 and 1982, even making the Conference Championship game in 1982. After Michaels resigned following the 1982 season, he was replaced by former offensive coordinator Joe Walton. Under Walton, the Jets enjoyed another two playoff appearances in 1985 and 1986, but regressed to a 6–9 record in 1987. Walton was fired after a 4–12 season in 1990.

The Jets continued to struggle competitively through the 1990s. Bruce Coslet was brought in as head coach in an effort to restore the team’s fortunes. Although he did push them into the playoffs in 1991, his tenure was otherwise unremarkable. He was replaced in 1994 by Pete Carroll, who served only a single year. Rich Kotite had even less success over the next two seasons. Bill Parcells was then hired away from the division rival New England Patriots to serve as head coach for the 1997 season. He managed something of a turnaround, guiding the Jets to their only playoff appearance of the decade in 1998, where they advanced to the AFC Championship but lost to the Denver Broncos. After the 1999 season, in which the Jets went 8–8, Parcells resigned as coach. The team designated his longtime assistant Bill Belichick to take over, but Belichick then abruptly quit to take on the Patriots' head coach job instead. Soon after, the Jets were sold to a new ownership group led by businessman Woody Johnson.

Coach Herman Edwards finally restored a spirit of respectability to the Jets and guided them to three playoff appearances in five years between 2001 and 2005. However, a 4–12 record in 2005 tested the patience of the team’s owners and Edwards left for Kansas City after the season. His replacement, Eric Mangini, lasted three seasons, reaching the playoffs once. The Jets next tipped former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan as the team’s fifteenth coach in 2009. The Ryan era started well and the Jets went 20–12 through his first two seasons. In his first two seasons leading the team, the Jets secured a wild-card playoff spot, won two road postseason games, and reached the AFC Championship game twice. They made back-to-back appearances in the AFC Championship twice during the 2009 and 2010 seasons but lost both times—first to the Indianapolis Colts and then to the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, the team failed to build on that success and declined to another 4–12 record in the 2014 season, Ryan's last.

In 2015, the Jets announced that Todd Bowles, previous defensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals, would be taking over head coaching duties. As with Ryan, he started hot and the team surged to a 10–6 record in 2015. Like many of his predecessors, however, Bowles found himself unable to build upon that momentum and the team had losing records the next three years. Bowles was fired after the 2018 season, leaving without a playoff appearance, and an overall record of 24–40 during his tenure.

The Jets then turned to former Miami Dolphins coach Adam Gase, who lasted just two seasons, achieving a 7–9 record in 2019, and concluding with a miserable 2–14 campaign in 2020. The franchise saw gradual improvement under new head coach Robert Saleh, who won particular praise for remaking the team's defense. The Jets still struggled with losing records in 2021 and 2022, however, as they continued to lack consistency at quarterback, among other issues. In an effort to address the quarterback issue, the team completed a blockbuster trade with the Green Bay Packers for star quarterback Aaron Rodgers in 2023, who was seen as a massive upgrade despite being in the twilight of his long and decorated career. The trade with the Green Bay Packers included a swap of first-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, along with additional draft picks exchanged between the two teams. Many sportswriters and fans speculated that the move gave the Jets a change at making the playoffs, and even possibly made the team a legitimate Super Bowl contender. However, Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon in his first game with the team in the 2023 season, dampening expectations of a quick turnaround.

The New York Jets entered the 2024 NFL season with high expectations, especially with Rodgers returning from his injury the previous season. However, the season was not as successful as many hoped, culminating in a 5–12 record and extending the team's playoff drought to fourteen consecutive years.

Head coach Saleh was fired after a disappointing 2–3 start. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich assumed the role of interim head coach but struggled to change the team's trajectory, leading to a 3-9 record under his leadership. General Manager Joe Douglas was also relieved of his duties later in the season due to the team's ongoing struggles. In the offseason, the Jets appointed former player Aaron Glenn as the new head coach and Darren Mougey as the general manager, signaling a new direction for the franchise.

Notable players

Several players known for their time with the Jets have been enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Most prominent of these is quarterback “Broadway” Joe Namath (played for the Jets 1965–76), who led the team to its first Super Bowl title. He was the first quarterback to break 4,000 passing yards in a single season, and finished with 27,663 passing yards and 173 touchdowns. He continued to hold many franchise passing records well into the twenty-first century.

While Namath arguably made the most indelible impression on fans, the team has counted various other notable players among its ranks. Wide receiver Don Maynard (1960–72) was among the franchise's first stars and was named part of the AFL’s All-League team in 1970 before being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987. Playing defense, Bill Baird played for the Jets from 1963 to 1969. Although he only started eighty games in his Jets career, he had thirty-four interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. On the defensive line, Mark Gastineau (1979–88) shared the brash attitude of Namath. Able to play multiple positions, Gastineau earned five Pro Bowl selections. Equally versatile was Hall of Famer Joe Klecko (1977–87), who alternated between defensive end and tackle and received four Pro Bowl selections. Running back Curtis Martin (1998–2005) led the NFL in rushing in 2004 with 1,697 yards. Cornerback Darrelle Revis became a star with the Jets from 2007 to 2012 and rejoined the team in 2015 and 2016. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023.

In the 2020s, young talented players like cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner have made an immediate impact on the team. He was the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He earned the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award and a First-Team All-Pro selection, making him the first rookie cornerback to receive this honor since 1981. In his first two seasons, he was also selected to the Pro Bowl twice. Gardner has been recognized for his exceptional coverage skills, physicality, and football intelligence, solidifying his reputation as one of the NFL's top cornerbacks.

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