The New York Jets opened 0-4 in 2025, infuriating fans after a season that had promised more than this with first-year head coach Aaron Glenn. To resolve the issues, the HC made a roster move this week that has repercussions for the receiving corps and the special teams. What is it?

According to @Connor_J_Hughes, the Jets added veteran returner Avery Williams to the practice squad. Perhaps a shot to save his job. We all know that turnovers once more are besetting the unit, and the Jets are the NFL leader in turnover differential with minus-7. So, as Williams has great return ability, his signing might help fix a problem that has plagued the team this season.

No doubt, the Jets have been a mess on returns this year. Xavier Gipson started the season as the starting returner but was waived following a fumble during the fourth quarter of an early-season contest. Then came the turn of Isaiah Williams, who was to be the unit’s anchor, but last Monday, during a game against the Miami Dolphins, Williams fumbled a kickoff and had trouble fair catching a punt within the five-yard line. Those errors made special teams coordinator Chris Banjo change his mind about the job, and the Jets were left holding onto straws.

Avery Williams is 27 and played his 2021-2024 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. He has a veteran resume as a kickoff and punt returner. He averaged a league-high 16.2 yards per punt return in 2022, 22.4 yards per kickoff return, and 10.9 yards per punt return. Signed in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft as a cornerback, Williams began his second season playing running back following a flip over and showing athleticism and versatility.

Signing Williams is a nod to the Jets’ return game wild card. Banjo spoke to the ongoing evaluation on Thursday afternoon, stating the unit is still on the table as an attempt to get a returner back. Short of bringing Isaiah Williams back into the group, Banjo did state that there does need to be some tweaking on the coaching staff. “We have got to drill better,” he said.

He continued, “Our job as coaches is to make sure we put players in a position where we drill it constantly. It’s reflective and instinct to make sure we make good decisions, and we look forward to having that opportunity.” So, does that mean Isaiah Williams might be asked to leave? Per Justin Fried of the Jet Press, “Untimely penalties, fumbles, and boneheaded mistakes derailed any chances of a Jets comeback bid, and perhaps no individual player was more at fault than return specialist Isaiah Williams.”

Additionally, bringing in Avery Williams can be taken as a hint for what’s coming next for the WR & return specialist. To complement veteran kicker Nick Folk and punter Austin McNamara’s signings, the return game is the Jets’ biggest headache, so the team is trying everything, including more use of running back Isaiah Davis.

Along with lineup reshuffling, Glenn is getting his paws dirty in correcting one of the Jets’ least strong spots: ball security.

Aaron Glenn tackles fumbles in his way!

Fumbles, and therefore turnovers, have been the problem this year. Week 4 against the Dolphins would be a good week to use as an example, as New York lost three of its three fumbles, some of which could have been prevented with better fundamentals. The unit lost a lot of possessions because they couldn’t maintain the ball, and one of the reasons why Glenn was heard yelling at players in the locker room following the game.

Glenn was seen on Thursday making players go through a new drill designed to help players protect the ball better. With one hand in a boxing glove, the head coach roughly jabbed, attempting to punch footballs away from players’ hands at practice drills as he simulated game strip attempts.

A six-time forced fumble defensive back throughout his career, Glenn is familiar with other people’s tricks for attempting to strip the ball away from their hands and is passing that on to instruct his own players. Drill is meant to instill fundamentals and cause players to instinctively follow up and not drop the ball in bad places.

Glenn speaks volumes about how seriously he is regarding the issue, drilling the team on sound ball-handling early enough that it would not be coming too late. After the Week 4 loss, the head coach said, ”We gotta figure it out.” The Jets, ever starved for stability and trust, make such a move so turnovers would no longer be re-inflamed. It all comes down to it. A defeat on Sunday would put the Jets at 0-5, the first Super Bowl-era Jets coach in franchise history to lose five straight to open his time behind the bench.

For a team that wants to end the streak, every drive is important, and errors in the return game or offense can be devastating.