The New York Jets’ roster will report to training camp in less than 10 days.
In just under two months, the Jets will kick off their 2025 season against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Before that happens, though, New York needs to go through training camp to see which players are worthy of a spot on the 53-man roster moving forward. The Jets have shifted their roster in plenty of ways under a new regime led by head coach Aaron Glenn.
With that change, many Jets players must prove their worth to Glenn and the rest of the coaching staff.
Five players in particular are walking into Florham Park under heightened pressure.
Malachi Corley
Malachi Corley was a non-factor in his rookie season. Part of that was due to the previous coaching regime’s uncreative offensive strategy, but Corley struggled to stand out, both on the practice field and in games.
Now, a new regime is at the helm, giving Corley a fresh start. His biggest obstacle is that he has not been healthy enough to get on the practice field.
Corley dealt with an undisclosed injury during offseason workouts in May and June. If he cannot make an impact during training camp, there’s a legitimate chance that he won’t make the 53-man roster.
He’ll need to earn any sort of playing time this camp.
Brandon Stephens
For a player who signed a three-year, $36 million contract in free agency, Stephens’ appearance on this list could be surprising to some.
The former Baltimore Raven struggled mightily in coverage last season, but has all the potential to be a quality starter.
The problem with Stephens is that the Jets drafted Azareye’h Thomas in the third round of the 2025 draft. Thomas offers a similar skill set to Stephens (lengthy, physical press-man corner) and already turned heads in offseason workouts.
If Stephens doesn’t want to lose his job, he’ll need to look like a quality starter during camp.
Justin Fields
This is another obvious one. Fields is on his third team in as many years. He spent the entire offseason learning a new playbook and working with new teammates.
Training camp will be huge for him. Either Fields takes off and shows why the Jets were confident enough to give him $20 million a year annually for the next two years, or fans and the team receive the same kind of play that the Bears and Steelers received.
The next month and a half is Fields’ chance to build optimism around the Jets entering the regular season.
Jamien Sherwood
Sherwood’s standing on the roster is unquestioned, especially after signing a $45 million extension this offseason.
There isn’t really an issue with the young linebacker. This offseason will put more pressure on him than previous years, though, now that he has officially replaced C.J. Mosley at the position.
Sherwood will need to prove he can both play and lead as effectively as Mosley did during his time with the team.
Xavier Gipson
As an undrafted free agent, Gipson is a player development success story, but the Jets are putting him into the fire this training camp season.
After Gipson’s underwhelming 2024 season as the punt returner (8.1-yard average, three muffs), there will be a legitimate competition for the punt returner role. If Gipson doesn’t win the job, it will be hard to see a role for him on the 53-man roster. He has yet to impress as an offensive weapon in his career.
Honorable Mention: Allen Lazard
There’s a potential future where, if Lazard struggles throughout the first few weeks of training camp, the Jets could look to move the veteran receiver ahead of the start of the regular season.
Will the Jets simply ship Lazard to Pittsburgh for a reunion with Aaron Rodgers? That’s well within the realm of possibility.
But it won’t happen if the veteran plays well and no one else steps up in the wide receiver role. The Jets lack depth at the position, and if Lazard plays to the best of his ability, he is a valuable player to keep around.