Dynasty Fantasy Football Free Agency Preview 2026: New York Jets

It’s not easy being a Jets fan. And it’s certainly bittersweet to see Sam Darnold walk away with a Super Bowl win. Obviously, you root for the guy - he’s a good guy. You just wish that he had had that kind of success in YOUR house. And, after back-to-back 14-year win seasons, it makes you wonder if there really are ghosts in that building.

The Jets will continue their own search for the franchise quarterback this offseason. They’ll also have at least one key decision to make with star running back Breece Hall. As we’ve been doing for the last 12 days, as we cover 32 teams in 32 days, let’s dig into the roster, the contracts, and the cap space to predict what kind of moves the Jets might make in 2026 free agency. If there’s an impact on your dynasty fantasy football leagues, we’ll cover that too. 

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*The salary cap numbers referenced in this article come courtesy of our friends over at Spotrac.com*

New York Jets Depth Chart 2026 (Fantasy Football Relevant)

KEY 

• White = free agent
• Green = role is safe
• Yellow =  role in flux
• Orange = likely a depth piece
• Red = roster spot not guaranteed

New York Jets Free Agency 2026

• CURRENT PROJECTED 2026 SALARIES: $241M
• CURRENT ESTIMATED 2026 CAP SPACE: $83M

Free Agent Types

Unrestricted free agent: Any player with four or more accrued seasons whose contract has expired. They are free to negotiate with any team.

Restricted free agent: A player with three accrued seasons and an expired contract. The CBA allowed for NFL teams to tender these players to one-year qualifying offers to retain them. Another team can sign them, but would need to provide the tendering team with compensation. In layman’s terms, if a new team signs a player, the current team can match it, or they receive the corresponding pick from the new team. These are the projected RFA tender levels per OverTheCap.com:

• 1st Round - $7,893,000
• 2nd Round - $5,658,000
• Right of First Refusal - $3,453,000

Exclusive rights free agent: Any player with fewer than three accrued seasons and an expired contract. If his original team offers him a one-year contract at the league minimum, the player cannot negotiate with other teams. If the team wants the player back, these contracts are a no-brainer, as the player either needs to play on the contract or sit out. 

Jets Quarterback Depth Chart

Justin Fields

The Justin Fields experiment did not go well, to say the least. And the contract he signed doesn’t make it easy for them to move on either. He’s essentially owed $23M, with $22M of that guaranteed. If anyone wanted Fields at all via trade, you have to assume the Jets would literally take anything - or possibly even give something up, as the Texans once did with Brock Osweiler - as that would take $11M in cap off the books.

There’s also a world where they just cut Justin Fields anyway, as beat writer Rich Cimini speculates. If they designate Fields a post-June 1 release, they can at least split the money over two years. Fields is the kind of guy you hold onto in superflex leagues, as he always has mobile upside if he gets a shot somewhere. In single QB leagues, he does not need to be held.

Tyrod Taylor

Taylor is a free agent, but he has already publicly stated that he would be open to a return to the Jets if they were interested. Even if the Jets plan to draft a QB or sign a project, Taylor would be a good veteran presence to have. 

Brady Cook

Cook got an opportunity to start but struggled as he threw only two touchdowns to seven interceptions while never throwing for more than 188 yards. He’s under contract for 2026 but can be released with zero dead cap, so his roster spot is not guaranteed.

Hendon Hooker

Hooker was drafted by the Lions, who ended up giving up on him before his rookie contract was over. The Jets signed him to their practice squad, then elevated him, but he never appeared. He’s an unrestricted free agent.

• Reserves/Futures: Bailey Zappe

JETS QB FREE AGENCY TAKE: Rumors have been swirling about a potential trade for quarterbacks like Kyler Murray, Tua Tagoavailia, or Mac Jones. Trading for a QB would also help the compensatory pick formula if guys like Breece Hall walk. Given that the Jets pick second overall, they’ve also been tied to virtually every rookie quarterback option. But there are some free agent options out there that could make sense as well - even in conjunction with a draft pick.

Obviously, Aaron Rodgers is out of the question, but Kirk Cousins is expected to be released. If they want to stick with mobile options, Tyrod Taylor could return, and Packers backup Malik Willis has flashed in his limited capacity.

• POSSIBLE FREE AGENT OPTIONS: Kirk Cousins (if released), Tyrod Taylor, Malik Willis, Tyler Huntley, Kenny Pickett

Jets Running Back Depth Chart

Breece Hall

The Jets failed to trade Breece Hall before the deadline despite moving other expiring assets. Now Hall hits free agency, where he wants to get paid and could use a change of scenery. If he does leave and gets a contract in the $12M+ AAV range, the Jets would be inline for a fourth-round compensatory pick. They would need to make sure not to sign too many incoming deals that would cancel that out.

Breece Hall is the exact kind of guy I try to buy in dynasty fantasy football. He was still fourth in explosive runs with 17 despite being in a brutal offense. We all saw how guys like Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs thrived once they found a new home. Hall is still smack in the age apex for the position. 

Braelon Allen

In the three games where he was healthy, Braelon Allen got 14 carries to only 2 for Isaiah Davis while also running more routes. Unfortunately, he suffered an MCL injury on a kickoff that ended his season early. If the Jets were to move on from Hall and not add major pieces, Allen would be in line to start making him a guy that needs to be held in dynasty. 

Isaiah Davis

Davis took over as the de facto RB2 following the injury to Allen. He was mostly a change-of-pace back, but definitely skewed more towards pass downs when filling in for Hall. On the season, Davis ran 159 routes to 256 for Hall, which is a bit surprising given how elite a pass-catching back Hall is. If the Jets roll with a combo of Allen and Davis, I’d expect Allen to start with Davis to skew pass downs, which could see him have some spot start value as the Jets should be in a decent number of negative game scripts where they need to throw. 

Kene Nwangwu

Nwangwu is an All-Pro caliber return man when healthy, and he even returned a kick for a touchdown last year for the Jets. The keyword there being healthy, as four of his five seasons have seen him miss time. He’s an unrestricted free agent, and I expect him to be returning kicks somewhere next year, possibly back in New York.

Khalil Herbert

The Jets signed Herbert when Braelon Allen went on IR. He didn’t appear much on offense or special teams, so I don’t expect him to be back in 2026. He’s an unrestricted free agent.

• Reserves/Futures: Zach Evans

JETS RB FREE AGENCY TAKE: If the Jets are interested in a high-end running back, it should probably be Breece Hall. So I don’t expect them to be in the market for guys like Kenneth Walker or Travis Etienne. Running back is a luxury position for competitive teams, and that’s just not where the Jets are right now, so I would not blame them for scraping by at the position for the time being.

If they do let Hall walk and bring in backs to compete with Allen and Davis, I expect them to come from the more affordable tier. Guys like Javonte Williams or Rico Dowdle would probably be the higher end, or maybe some backups that are looking for a bigger role via free agency, like Tyler Allgeier or Brian Robinson

• POSSIBLE FREE AGENT OPTIONS: Breece Hall, Javonte Williams, Rico Dowdle, Tyler Allgeier, Brian Robinson Jr, Isiah Pacheco, Kenneth Gainwell

Jets Wide Receiver Depth Chart

Garrett Wilson

Garrett Wilson is three things. He’s a good wide receiver. He’s a rich man. And he’s a Jet for a very long time. If he’s there for the length of his contract, it would be until he’s 30. They made a $90 million commitment to him.

We’ve seen plenty of guys in his spot, like Terry McLaurin and Chris Olave. Good players waiting for the right QB. Terry McLaurin went from never scoring more than seven touchdowns to scoring 13 with Jayden Daniels. But the “quarterback proof” label really just applies to the floor in fantasy. A Hall of Famer like Andre Johnson never played with a great QB and, therefore, never scored double-digit touchdowns. If you have the patience, hang onto Wilson. But I don’t blame anyone who trades him, especially if you are competing to win now.

Adonai Mitchell

The former second-round pick needed a change of scenery after he didn’t fit in in Indianapolis (and made a couple of bone-headed plays that cost them a win against the Rams. Mitchell has the raw talent that is worth giving a second shot to, but he’s been incredibly inconsistent with his opportunities. He has very little trade value, so worth holding to see how things shake out.

John Metchie

When Garrett Wilson went down, John Metchie and Adonai Mitchell essentially became full-time wide receivers. Metchie was more of a reliable low aDot option while Mitchell ran the deeper routes. As Metchie missed a lot of time with the Texans early in his career, he’s a restricted free agent and can be retained fairly easily. 

With Garrett Wilson back, Metchie essentially needs to beat out Mitchell to be the full-time WR opposite Wilson, and then the Jets need to have a QB that can support two fantasy-relevant WRs. It feels like a tall order, so you don’t necessarily need to hold Metchie.

Josh Reynolds

The journeyman wideout had a decent role early but sustained a hip injury that landed him on IR. He’s an unrestricted free agent and should probably focus on players who will be there for the long haul. 

Arian Smith

Smith operated as the slot WR for a good chunk of the season, but you wouldn’t really know it given his lack of production. In fact, his 0.21 yards per route run was dead last among all WRs who ran at least 100 routes by a pretty wide margin per Pro Football Focus. He only had 52 yards on 245 routes run. He’s a cut candidate. 

Isaiah Williams

The other slot receiver was Isaiah Williams, and he had at least a little bit more success with 193 yards on 214 routes. He also led the team in both punt and kick returns, making him a much more likely option to be retained in 2026.

Tyler Johnson

There was some hype for Tyler Johnson out of Minnesota, but he hasn’t really been able to catch on anywhere. He got some looks early in the season but fell behind guys like Mitchell and Metchie towards the end. He’s an unrestricted free agent, and I don’t expect him to be back.

Irvin Charles

Charles tore his ACL late in 2024, so the Jets tendered him as a restricted free agent, hoping he could return in 2025. He ended up on the season-ending IR in July. As he earned no service time, they could do the same this offseason if they believe in him.

Quentin Skinner

The Jets signed Skinner to the active roster late in the season, and he appeared on offense for Week 18. He can be released with zero dead cap, so he’s not a roster lock.

• Reserves/Futures: Mac Delana, Jamaal Pritchett

JETS WR FREE AGENCY TAKE: Believe it or not, I actually think the Jets are doing the right thing at WR. They aren’t competitive and don’t even have a quarterback, so you might as well take a shot on some high-risk, high-reward projects like Adonai Mitchell. I think they should continue that trajectory in free agency to see if they can find a running mate for Garrett Wilson on the cheap. They can always sign, draft, or trade for a WR later when they know who their QB is.

• POSSIBLE FREE AGENT OPTIONS: John Metchie, Treylon Burks, Dyami Brown, Greg Dortch, Calvin Austin

Jets Tight End Depth Chart

Mason Taylor

Mason Taylor got a big opportunity in 2025, which is rare for rookie tight ends. Unfortunately, it’s hard to judge with the lack of quality QB play. The usage profile for Taylor is a little concerning, as he was asked to play inline a lot and stay in to block on 11% of his pass plays - and that number was over 20% in some games down the stretch. The concern is that they could add a pass-catching tight end, and then he becomes the next Cole Kmet or Michael Mayer. If you can get a good price, the conservative move is to sell.

Jeremy Ruckert

Ruckert operated as the primary blocking tight end, blocking on over 20% of his pass plays. He’s under contract through 2027, and they would actually lose cap space by releasing him, so I expect him to be back in that capacity and on special teams. He has no fantasy value. 

Stone Smartt

We’d love to see the QB turned WR turned TE get some more reps on offense. But he pretty much only appeared on special teams for the Jets. He should try to catch on elsewhere with a team that might have some offensive work for him as a “big slot”. 

Jelani Woods

Injuries have derailed the career of Jelani Woods every step of the way. He missed all of 2023 with a hamstring injury, all of 2024 after turf toe surgery, then most of 2025 with a hamstring issue. He’s an unrestricted free agent and not a priority to bring back.

• Reserves/Futures: N/A

JETS TE FREE AGENCY TAKE: The Jets don’t really need to do much here if they are committed to Mason Taylor as the guy. It’s only been one year, plus they have bigger holes to fill. The concern with Taylor, though, is that he might end up skewing more towards blocking, which could see them add another pass-catching tight end to the room. I don’t think it’s the best use of resources right now for New York, but if they were to do that, here are the names that are out there. 

• POSSIBLE FREE AGENT OPTIONS: Kyle Pitts, David Njoku, Chig Okonkwo, Isaiah Likely, Darren Waller, Evan Engram (via trade)

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