The day has finally arrived.

After over eight long months, New York Jets football is back. At 1 p.m. EST, Aaron Glenn and the Jets will kick off their 2026 season in Nashville, Tenn., against Robert Saleh and the Titans.

Here’s everything you need to know on gameday.

How to watch

  • Time: 1 p.m. EST
  • TV: CBS
  • Broadcast crew: Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta

Jets-Titans will be broadcast on CBS in the following markets:

  • New York, NY
  • Hartford, CT
  • Nashville, TN
  • Knoxville, TN
  • Memphis, TN
  • Huntsville, AL
  • Tupelo, MS
  • Cape Girardeau, MO

For those out of market, you can watch the game on NFL Sunday Ticket.

Uniforms

The Jets opted for their white-on-green uniform set. Perhaps it is a statement of their intention to break long-standing stigmas around the franchise; New York is 1-15 in this uniform set since 2020.

The Titans will be wearing blue jerseys and white pants in the official debut of their new uniform set.

Injury report

New York Jets

  • EDGE Joseph Ossai (foot): Out
  • WR Tim Patrick (groin): Out
  • RB Kene Nwangwu (back): Doubtful
  • CB D’Angelo Ponds (calf): Doubtful

Tennessee Titans

  • LB Cedric Gray (concussion): Out

New York will be dealing with four absences on Sunday.

Edge rusher Joseph Ossai will be a key loss, as his play against the run is expected to be a critical facet for that unit. The defense will also be without second-round rookie corner D’Angelo Ponds, leaving Jarvis Brownlee Jr. to start in the slot against high-level slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson.

Kene Nwangwu is one of the team’s two primary kick returners. The owner of one of the best kick return averages in NFL history (29.7), Nwangwu’s loss will be felt.

Tim Patrick is a veteran depth option in the receiver room. Patrick will be out for the foreseeable future, as the team placed him on injured reserve with the groin issue. That will keep him out for at least four games.

On the Tennessee side, there is only one absence, but it’s a relatively big one. Cedric Gray is a starting every-down linebacker for the team. He had 164 total tackles across 16 starts in 2025.

What to watch for

Can Geno protect the ball?

Since 2022, Geno Smith is 16-8 as a starting quarterback when he does not turn the ball over. Can Smith keep the ball safe today?

While Titans head coach Robert Saleh has led some excellent defenses, his units typically struggle to force turnovers. Saleh’s 2025 San Francisco defense ranked 23rd in takeaways with just 16 (0.94 per game), while the 2021-24 Jets tied for 26th with 74 takeaways (1.09 per game).

Will the Jets contain Jeffery Simmons?

If the Jets want Smith to remain turnover-free, they’ll have to keep him protected. Smith remains one of the NFL’s most accurate quarterbacks from a clean pocket, but his efficiency dips more dramatically than most quarterbacks when he faces pressure, as you’d expect from a 35-year-old pocket passer.

Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons led his position with 11.0 sacks last year. He will pose a major challenge for the Jets’ interior offensive line, including center Josh Myers, who is considered the weak link of the starting five.

In Simmons’ 15 games last year, the Titans went 2-0 when he had multiple sacks, compared to 1-12 when he did not.

How often does Aaron Glenn blitz?

Titans quarterback Cam Ward had the league’s worst success rate against the blitz last season.

That makes Jets head coach Aaron Glenn a brutal matchup for him. The last time Glenn was a defensive play-caller, he had the Detroit Lions ranked second in blitz rate at 34.6%.

Don’t be surprised if Glenn sends the house with reckless abandon from the get-go.

Prediction

  • Jets 23, Titans 20

New York is catching Tennessee at the right time.

The Titans are led by a young quarterback who struggled mightily in his debut season, and this will be his first game in a brand-new scheme, while playing alongside a plethora of new teammates. That will leave them highly vulnerable to mistakes that should tilt field position in the Jets’ favor.

The Jets have many favorable matchups offensively, including Garrett Wilson against the Titans’ shaky cornerback duo, Breece Hall in the passing game against a linebacker duo that was already mediocre in coverage before Cedric Gray’s absence, and Kenyon Sadiq against a YAC-prone safety duo. Hall’s explosiveness in the outside run game could also exploit a Robert Saleh scheme that naturally presents open lanes on the edge.

Tennessee has multiple matchup advantages that should prevent the Jets from having a chance to run away with the game, no matter how many mistakes Ward makes. Their wide receivers should be able to separate easily against New York’s corners, helping to negate the effects of Glenn’s blitzes. Simmons will likely make some drive-wrecking plays.

In the end, though, the Jets seem poised to be the team that makes one fewer mistake in this battle of re-tooling franchises.