‘We practice like it’s the Super Bowl’: Jets’ rookie LB speaks out

Six games into the New York Jets’ 2025 season, rookie fifth-round linebacker Francisco “Kiko” Mauigoa has shown steady improvement since stepping into a starting role following veteran Quincy Williams’ placement on injured reserve.

In an exclusive one-on-one conversation with Jets X-Factor, Mauigoa discussed the value of having Williams and defensive captain Jamien Sherwood in his position group, crediting their mentorship and leadership for helping him navigate his rookie campaign and first few games as a starter.

“I am blessed to be in that room and be surrounded by a group of men who have been around the league for so long,” said Mauigoa. “Getting to learn from Quincy and Sherwood and Lino [Marcelino McCrary-Ball], being able to pick their brains and how they see the game, has helped speed up the process for me, so I am blessed to be able to be around those guys and just learn from them and learn the game of football and understand that I am never alone out there. It is amazing and fun to be a part of.”

With three NFL starts under his belt, the Miami product has shown significant improvement each week, capped by a standout performance against the Denver Broncos.

Mauigoa earned an 86.3 grade from Pro Football Focus in Week 6, ranking among the top five linebackers in the league. He finished the game with nine total tackles (none missed), four run stops, and a quarterback hurry (in which he drew a holding flag), while he allowed just one reception for four yards in pass coverage.

“It’s all about preparation,” he said Tuesday morning. “You’ve got to prepare a certain way, and being able to trust your coaches that they are able to put you in the right position to play well, and the same with your teammates. You have to be willing to trust your teammates to do their job and trust yourself to execute yours.

“It all comes down to locking in on those little details, because those little details in this league can be the good or the bad, so being able to prepare myself as a professional has helped me a lot throughout the process of being a starting linebacker in this league.”

Mauigoa’s first NFL start came on short notice, less than a week of preparation, in a high-profile matchup against the division-rival Miami Dolphins on “Monday Night Football” at Hard Rock Stadium.

The Week 4 contest wasn’t just his professional debut as a starter; it also took place on familiar turf. The stadium had served as his home field for his final two college seasons with the Miami Hurricanes and featured a matchup against Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, a player Mauigoa grew up watching and idolizing as a native of American Samoa.

“It was a lot of emotions, able to go back to Hard Rock, it holds a special place in my heart, you know that’s where I played two of my college seasons, so to be able to go back there and not only play there but also play against Tua,” he told Jet X.

“Back at the island, a lot of kids look up to Tua, not only for what he does on the field, but also for what he does off the field. So, it was a special moment for me, just being able to play the game of football at this level, but also playing against somebody you looked up to when you were young, so it was a good moment, it was a fun opportunity, and it will forever be a memory for me.”

Heading into Week 6, the Jets’ defense had been among the league’s weakest units, allowing 31.4 points per game, the franchise’s fourth-worst mark through five games. Opposing offenses had found success on more than half of their possessions, scoring on 53.7% of drives, the third-highest rate in the NFL.

New York also entered the week without a single takeaway, becoming the first team in league history to go five games without forcing a turnover. But against Denver, the unit looked to have turned a corner, limiting the Broncos to just 13 points and producing its first takeaway of the season.

“I think after the first five weeks, things weren’t going the way we wanted them to go. It came down to those little details, and I think players came to the realization that we really have to trust each other, and we really have to play to the standard that we practice and preach about every single week,” said the rookie.

“We practice like it’s the Super Bowl. I am being so for real. These guys are out there practicing with physicality and also knowing the game and what to expect, and the way we watch film, there is nothing like it.

“When it came down to this game, it just came down to the little details. Guys were flying around the field, and just getting to their ball, and that is what clicked, and that is how we picked up the energy from the first quarter through the fourth quarter,” the linebacker continued.

On top of his defensive workload, Mauigoa has also played a pivotal role on the Jets’ special teams unit that has been thriving. Chris Banjo’s group holds the league’s second-highest special teams grade from Pro Football Focus (90.6).

Through six games this year, Mauigoa has earned a stellar 74.6 special teams grade from PFF, while playing the fourth-most snaps on special teams among his teammates (105).

“I love the way coach Banjo brings the fire into the special teams meetings,” said Mauigoa. “Not only the meetings, but also practice. We preach the physicality, the belief, and the way we have to approach the game of football.

“It doesn’t matter what role you play, but you really have to lock on those details, and what we preach in the special teams meetings is we can be the difference, anybody can be the difference, and you guys witness that on Sunday’s, so love what coach Banjo brings to the table and what he has taught the other guys in that room to play our highest level of football.”

For Mauigoa, it’s all starting to slow down: the game, the speed, the pressure. Each week, the rookie looks a little more comfortable, a little more confident, and a little more like the kind of player the Jets can rely on in the middle of the defense for years to come.