The New York Jetswon't be receiving many style points heading into the 2026 season. They've done some good things. They've made strides, but it appears ESPN's Ben Solak sees the same old Jets.
In his annual NFL watchability rankings, New York checked in at No. 25 overall, placing them among the league's least appealing teams for neutral fans to watch. Only thePittsburgh Steelers
, Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans,Miami Dolphins, and Cleveland Browns ranked lower.At first glance, that might sound like a harsh assessment. A closer look reveals something more interesting.
ESPN sees a better Jets team
While Solak ranked the Jets near the bottom of the league in watchability, he also acknowledged that New York could be better than many people
expect. He pointed to the team's dreadful turnover luck from a season ago, noting the Jets finished last in both turnover EPA and turnover margin.
He also highlighted an offseason that brought several veteran additions to the defense, including Minkah Fitzpatrick, Joseph Ossai, Kingsley Enagbare, Demario Davis, and David Onyemata. The offensive line also received praise, as did the potential impact of Geno Smith, Breece Hall, and Garrett Wilson.
In other words, Solak doesn't necessarily believe the Jets will be bad. He just isn't convinced they'll be particularly entertaining. That's an important distinction. The Jets' formula under Aaron Glenn appears to be centered around physical defense, disciplined football, and winning the turnover battle.
Those traits can produce victories, even if they don't always generate highlight-reel football. For Jets fans, that's probably a trade worth making. After all, nobody hangs banners for being watchable. Winning games tends to be much more popular.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Jets are named among ESPN's most unwatchable NFL teams
