Despite not being on the New York Jets’ Week 1 roster and getting cut in-season, wide recieever/special teamer Isaiah Williams was voted the team’s MVP.
That’s the kind of year 2025 was for Gang Green, who finished with an abomindable 3-14 record.
Despite being voted New York’s most valuable player by his teammates last year, Williams’ role with the team doesn’t have much clarity beyond special teams entering 2026.
“It’s not in my control. I’d like to control the controllables, and I love to play football. However, whenever I get on the field, that’s what I want to do. I want to play as much as I can,” Williams said of his role with the Jets when speaking to reporters this week.
Williams’ 2025 campaign with the Jets was a roller coaster. Following Week 4, he was cut by New York after two costly errors on special teams.
After fumbling on the kickoff to open the second half and fair-catching a punt inside the Jets’ five-yard line, he made several back-breaking mistakes that helped lead to the Jets’ 27-21 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
However, he got his second chance in Week 6, and he quickly proved his worth.
From Weeks 6-18, he led 25 qualified returners (minimum 25 returns) in Pro Football Focus’ overall return grade, posting a 91.2 mark over that span. He also averaged the most yards per kick return (31.3) and tied with Tennessee’s Chimere Dike for the most punt return touchdowns with two.
Offensively, he hauled in 26 of his 36 targets for 193 yards (7.4 yards per catch) and 10 first downs. His speed also allowed him to be used in the ground game as he took three rushes for 34 yards and a touchdown last season.
The former Cincinnati Bengal isn’t supposed to have much of a role on offense in 2026, though, largely due to the Jets’ revamped wide receiver room and pass-catching corps as a whole.
Regardless of his role on offense, for the Jets to remain the NFL’s top special teams unit in 2026, Williams will need to replicate his success from last year.
