There weren’t many positives to take away from the New York Jets’ 3-14 season in 2025.

One of the few encouraging elements, though, was New York’s special teams play. Not only did they have the best special teams unit in the league, but it was a historic year.

Without special teams, there is a case to be made that the Jets wouldn’t have won a game last season. The unit had a significant impact in each of the squad’s three wins and kept the team in many games.

As the Jets released their initial 53-man roster on Sunday, it became clear that special teams play had a big hand in several of their roster decisions.

How Jets’ 53-man roster is impacted by special teams

If there is one clear takeaway from the back end of the Jets’ initial 53-man roster, it’s that Gang Green values special teams.

Kene Nwangwu and Isaiah Williams both deserved roster spots after outstanding seasons as returners.

Nwangwu is one of the best returners in NFL history, while Williams won the Jets’ team MVP award last season. Their offensive roles are limited, but they have legitimate field-flipping ability as returners, making it worth keeping them around.

The Jets also gave linebacker Marcelino McCrary-Ball another opportunity after a highly productive summer. He played well on defense throughout the preseason, but his regular-season defensive play shows significant limitations.

However, he was also the Jets’ special teams captain last season and remains a valuable piece on that unit. In 2025, he led the Jets with a Pro Football Focus grade of 85.0. His strong summer certainly helped his case, but his special teams value is likely the biggest reason why he stuck around.

The same argument applies to cornerback Qwan’tez Stiggers’ roster spot. Samuel Womack III and Jordan Clark, who were competing for the CB6 spot along with Stiggers, outplayed him defensively, but Stiggers offered more special teams ability. That, along with the fact that he was a 2024 fifth-round pick, seemed to give him the advantage.

Then, there is Andrew Beck. Carrying a fullback isn’t typical for most teams in the modern-day NFL, but Beck is much more than just a fullback. He is a highly valuable blocker and special teams contributor. In 2025, he led the Jets in special teams snaps while delivering key blocks on several of the Jets’ biggest returns on special teams.

Also, don’t forget about wide receiver Arian Smith. Despite a rough summer, the 2025 fourth-round pick cracked the Jets’ initial 53-man roster, and his growth as a gunner throughout last season could certainly play a big role in that decision.

One thing is clear: special teams ability played a huge role in the Jets’ roster decisions regarding bubble players.