On Thursday evening, the New York Jets, along with the rest of the NFL, released their schedule for the 2026 NFL season.

Subsequently, every fan and NFL pundit has released their schedule predictions, including our Michael Nania.

Instead of attempting to predict each game and the Jets’ final record, which history shows is nearly impossible, here are three key takeaways from Gang Green’s schedule.

1. Zero primetime games

For the first time since 2007, the Jets are not scheduled to play a primetime game.

That is a stark contrast from recent years, as the team has played 13 primetime games over the past three years, including six in 2023 and five in 2024. Even in Aaron Glenn’s first season, the Jets were given a pair of primetime games, losing both by multiple scores.

Ultimately, this is the NFL telling the Jets that they need to prove themselves.

When the Jets landed 11 primetime games across the 2023-24 seasons, it was a byproduct of the Aaron Rodgers experience. After going 15-36 over the last three seasons, the NFL doesn’t want to chance putting the Jets on national television until they can be counted on to deliver an entertaining game.

Gang Green was among five teams that did not earn a primetime game, joining the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, and Miami Dolphins on the list.

However, the Jets are the only team on that list without a first-year head coach.

2. Not an ideal bye week

The Jets will not have their bye week until Week 13, much later than their Week 9 bye last season.

Given that, the team must stay healthy throughout the early stretches of the season, as they don’t get any rest until they have only five games remaining.

If the Jets surprise the world and remain in playoff contention through December, this could prove to be a favorable week off, giving them a much-needed break before the final few weeks of the season.

That seems unlikely, but it’s the positive spin on the team’s late bye week.

3. Early wins are pivotal

To put themselves in a position to potentially crack the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, the Jets must rack up wins early in the season.

Another losing streak to begin the season would not only bury any hope of a playoff run, but it would also trigger calls for the in-season firing of head coach Aaron Glenn.

New York has been given a tough slate to begin the year. Three of their first four games are on the road, and two of those games are against the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears. Their lone home game is against a perennial playoff contender in the Green Bay Packers.

But if the Jets can come out of their first four games at 2-2, they would be in a strong position to make some noise in the middle of the schedule. After that, they have a four-game stretch that includes home games against the Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, and Las Vegas Raiders, along with a divisional game in New England.

There is a realistic path for the team to go 3-1 over that stretch. That would leave the team with a 5-3 record at the quasi-halfway point, with momentum on their side as they hit a rough stretch in their schedule. The Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Los Angeles Chargers await in November.

For the sake of Glenn’s job and, more importantly, keeping fans engaged, getting off to a fast start is essential for the Jets.