With one of the youngest rosters in the NFL, the 2025 New York Jets have made numerous mistakes that highlight their inexperience.
New York currently has the third-fewest number of players aged 29 or older (seven). While it was the root of early growing pains, the experience has yielded one constant: improvement.
With three wins in their last five games, Gang Green is beginning to learn from some of their early-season follies. A big portion of the credit for that, according to head coach Aaron Glenn, goes to two aging starters who have been everything to the team and more.
Jets starters change culture
When Glenn first took the job as head coach of the Jets, he made it clear that he was coming in to change the culture. In order to do that, he would need some veterans to show younger players how to operate as professionals.
That is precisely what defensive tackle Harrison Phillips and quarterback Tyrod Taylor have done.
Taylor began the season as New York’s backup signal-caller to Justin Fields. After a 2-8, though, the Jets put the 36-year-old in the limelight again. Since his promotion to the starting role, the team’s offense has undergone notable improvement.
The same could be said of Phillips.
At 29 years old, Phillips isn’t exactly the same kind of aging veteran that Taylor is. New York acquired Phillips from the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a late-round pick swap. Since his arrival, the Jets’ defense has steadily improved in key categories.
Those improvements on both sides of the ball are due to several factors. But the leadership of both Phillips and Taylor can’t be overlooked.
“Those guys have been around so long, they’ve seen a lot that,” Glenn said. “Our young guys can reach out to them at any given time and ask any kind of question, get any type of advice from those guys, and just understand exactly how this league works.
“It really makes it easier for you to go about your business.”
For a team that hasn’t finished with a .500-plus record in a decade, New York is in dire need of leadership. Taylor and Phillips won’t be mistaken for some of the elite players in the sport anytime soon, but they might just be building the foundation the Jets have desperately needed after all this time.
