New York Jets fans are hungry as they prepare to walk into MetLife Stadium for another home opener.
The franchise has not been to the playoffs in 15 years. In fact, the Jets have yet to host a playoff game in the very building they will be opening up on Sunday.
Spirits are high after the Jets’ first season-opening win that did not include a season-ending injury to the starting quarterback since 2018. In Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers, they will attempt to build their first 2-0 start since 2015, which was also their last season with a winning record.
Wide receiver Garrett Wilson will play a starring role in the team’s pursuit of a fairytale story. He also knows firsthand what will be going through fans’ minds as they walk through the MetLife gates on Sunday.
Now in his fifth season as a Jet, Wilson has developed a compassionate understanding of what the fan base has been through. He made it clear that he wants to do right by the team’s loyal supporters.
“I love our fans. And I know how they pop out every season, every year. Even in the offseason, they’re thinking about football season. It’s just a different fanbase, they’re wired a little different. Their loyalty is never in question. There hasn’t been much to root for, and we’re all aware of that. And we owe it to them,” said Wilson on Wednesday.
“That’s just the mindset. I wouldn’t say there’s any extra, my job is to go out and play good football and all the fans will feel good going home, and that’s kind of the mindset. I don’t want to let it consume me and make it bigger than what it is, it’s more of just, yeah, our fans are special.”
Wilson empathized with Jets fans for quickly losing passion each year due to poor starts, which have become expected. He made it a goal to show fans early in the 2026 season that the Jets deserve their support throughout the year.
“Early in the season, if we show them that we can sustain and do what we do, execute, they’ll be there throughout the whole season. I think the problem these past years has been like, that first game, we ain’t give them exactly what they wanted, and then it kind of trickles out. We got to give them something to root for, and that’s our plan on Sunday.”
It’s refreshing to see one of the Jets’ team leaders showing a blunt understanding of the pain that the franchise has put its fans through. Instead of pulling a Deshaun Watson and blaming the fans for being displeased with bad performances, Wilson displayed his impressive maturity as a young face of the franchise by relating with the fan base and striving to deliver better results for them.
