FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Darren Mougey insisted this wasn't “a teardown.” Aaron Glenn reiterated that the New York Jets will be a team that makes the fans proud.
But a day after trading two of the biggest stars in Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, it was clear the Jets are in a major rebuild during which patience will need to precede pride.
“It was a pretty intense day,” Glenn acknowledged Wednesday.
And for many of the players, coaches and fans,
a stunning and sad one.
Gardner was traded to Indianapolis on Tuesday for a first-round draft pick in 2026 and another in 2027, along with wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. A few hours later, Williams was dealt to Dallas for a second-round pick in 2026, a first-round selection in 2027 and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
Gardner and Williams were thought to be key parts of the foundation that both Glenn and Mougey are trying to set for the Jets' future while attempting to return the franchise to respectability.
“When an opportunity presents itself for us to be able to build this team, it's hard to pass it up,” Glenn said. "Listen, those two guys are great players, we all know that. All-Pro players. The one constant in this league is change.
“And I've said that to all our players, not just today but throughout this season, that this is a fluid game. Players come and go. Coaches come and go. But the one thing I do know is with change, there comes opportunity.”
While both Gardner and Williams are now on teams trying to reach the playoffs, the 1-7 Jets are likely going to miss the postseason for the 15th straight year. And that was clear even before the franchise-altering moves.
“I wouldn’t call it a teardown,” Mougey said Tuesday, a few hours after the trades.
When Glenn was hired, he preached patience and the process. That has been a tough sell to the fanbase, though. And now they have to watch their team play out the string of the last nine games without two of their best players, first-round picks who were once symbols of hope.
“Nothing different than I’ve been saying,” Glenn said of what he'd say to frustrated fans. “Listen, I want this to be a team that the fans are proud of, but again, I never said that we’re gonna be proud of them right now. At some point, I want this to be a team that the fans are proud of and I still stick with that.”
The big picture view for the Jets is clear: They have two first-round draft picks in 2026, along with two second-rounders, and three first-rounders in 2027. That's the glimmer of hope in a season that quickly went awry.
In theory, Mougey will have the flexibility in the next two drafts to remake the roster and, most importantly, find a quarterback who can be the foundational-type piece New York has been craving for decades. But the Jets will need to hit on most, if not all, of those decisions to make the two stunning moves Tuesday look good.
“The goal is always to win,” Mougey said. "Look, these coaches and players work too hard every day, all day, with the goal of winning on Sunday. And that never changes because that's what the fans deserve. That's what the players deserve and that's what the coaches deserve and that never changes.
“I understand the trade deadline and different moving parts, but the goal is to always win on Sunday.”
But that will be tougher to do now, starting Sunday at home against Cleveland, without Gardner and Williams, and even nickel cornerback Michael Carter II, who was sent to Philadelphia last week.
“I’d be lying if I said I was happy my brothers are gone because I’m not, I’m sick,” edge rusher Jermaine Johnson posted on X on Tuesday. "But, I believe strongly in the organization, staff and my other brothers in the locker room. I said when I got drafted I wanted to be the reason or part of the reason this thing gets changed for the better and that’s going to continue to be my outlook. I love this team and this fan base and y’all will continue to get my all, my absolute best on and off the field.
“Let’s look onward and upward because better things are coming and I give my word on that. Go Jets always.”
Glenn said he spoke to the players Wednesday morning when the team gathered for meetings, but said he didn't “wanna make too much of a deal” about the trades.
“Man, we are moving forward,” Glenn said. “We have a good amount of draft capital that we’re looking forward to. And when that time comes, we’ll handle that. But right now, we’re focused on Cleveland.”
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