Another new era for the New York Jets began on Wednesday, as the team opened training camp for the 2025 campaign. General manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn will look to end the Jets’ 14-year playoff drought following a 5-12 record last year and third-place finish in the AFC East.
With the preseason slate set to open on Aug. 9 against the Green Bay Packers, the Jets will have a bit of time to examine their roster ahead of their exhibition opener. However, there are storylines to watch for all over the offense, starting with the men under center.
The Jets will start the season with a new face in their quarterback room, signing Justin Fields on a two-year deal. Tyrod Taylor remains from last season, playing in the final year of his two-year pact. What’s next for their room is to be determined, but how the two adjust to Tanner Engstrand’s offense will be vital to their success.
Fields opened the season as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback, starting six of his 10 appearances. He finished with a 4-2 record, 1,106 passing yards, 289 rushing yards, and 10 touchdowns, split evenly between rushing and passing. When he was an upstart with the Chicago Bears, he was touted as versatile with his arms and legs, rushing for a career-high 1,143 yards in 2022, which he hasn’t been able to replicate in his past two seasons. Taylor saw limited action, appearing in two games as a backup, throwing for 119 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.
Taylor is also someone who has the tendency to use his feet, boasting 2,281 rushing yards in his 14-year career, averaging 5.6 yards per attempt and 24.3 per game. Fields uses the ground game more efficiently, rushing for 6.0 yards per attempt and 50.2 per game. With both quarterbacks being mobile options, it’s important to watch not just who wins the battle to be the starter in the opener, but also how the offense uses their strengths.
Also, a focus on the offense is the development of the offensive line. It was a red flag in previous years but took a step forward last year, finishing 17th ranked according to Pro Football Focus. The team addressed the issue at the Draft in April, drafting Armand Membou with their first-round pick. It’s the second straight year the Jets have drafted a lineman in Round 1, with Olu Fashanu joining the team in 2024.
The two join center Joe Tippmann, and guards Alijah Vera-Tucker and Marquis Hayes. New York suffered some losses in the trenches, losing Morgan Moses to the New England Patriots and Tyrone Smith to retirement. With two starters now off the roster, New York will need names to step up.
While plagued with injuries early in his career, Vera-Tucker stayed healthy and appeared in 15 games. Max Mitchell took a backseat from a starting role two years ago, and Chukwuma Okorafor signed in the offseason as a potential backup. With him and center Josh Myers added as depth, the preseason will be vital for the Jets to see what they have in their current OL group to fill the voids left by two starters.
