After a 1-7 start, the New York Jets have already begun their rebuild. Amid an urgent need to turn things around, General Manager Darren Mougey made two blockbuster moves before the trade deadline, trading away defensive lineman Quinnen Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner. It’s a tough pill to swallow for fans who have remained patient so far. So, what is the Jets’ plan for the future?

Mougey explained that the recent trades haven’t changed the team’s goal this season, which is to compete and win. He added that the group remains focused on its battle.

“Yeah, I understand the question, the goal is always to win,” the Jets’ GM said. “Look these coaches and players work too hard. Every day, all day with the goal of winning on Sunday. And that never changes because that’s what the fans deserve.”

The question now is how the team will stay focused. Defensive end Jermaine Johnson II, who expressed disappointment over the trade, said he still has faith in his teammates. And he is confident that the team will be able to weather the storm.

“I’d be lying if I said I was happy my brothers are gone because I’m not,” he said about Gardner and Williams. “I’m sick. But, I believe strongly in the organization, staff and my other brothers in the locker room. I said when I got drafted I wanted to be the reason or part of the reason this thing gets changed for the better and that’s going to continue to be my outlook.”

The team will need more players who share that same mindset. However, it isn’t surprising that the trade might demotivate the players. Gardner’s four-year, $120 million contract extension seemed like he would remain on the team for a long time. However, his game hasn’t been at the elite level that the Jets expected.

This season has been a reminder to the team that there were obvious flaws and holes that will need fixing, or they will risk another disaster like this season in the future. Now, while the Jets lost Gardner, they have collected solid and coveted draft picks that could boost their team in  2026 and 2027. These will also allow the team to acquire a QB for the team.

The Jets haven’t had any success with quarterback Justin Fields or their backup QB. As for this season, the locker room will be under scrutiny from here on out. But when it comes to the trades, it’s understandable why the Jets are starting their rebuild early.

The Jets had to make the blockbuster trade

During the press conference, the coach explained that the offer they got from the Colts was “too good” to pass up. But it wasn’t an easy decision for the team. “It wasn’t expected that it would happen this fast,” Mougey said. “but as we kept talking to Indianapolis, those offers kept getting richer and richer in their value.”

“It’s never easy moving on from any player, let alone guys like Sauce and Quinnen,”  he said, speaking of how the team had to make the trade.  They are thinking about the future.
“You’re set on what these values are, what they’re really worth and these players and what you might be willing to do to part ways with them. We got to today and had these offers that we just felt were too good for the team, and we made that with Sauce and Quinnen.”

The Jets received a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith for Williams, while two first-round picks (2026, ’27) and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell for Gardner. It turns out that the GM had been planning this overhaul for quite some time. He shared that the contracts of the players have always been “tradeable contract.”

This means their contracts allowed a possible move for the franchise. Now, even though the future looks bright for the Jets, the team will have to deal with the challenge of keeping the players motivated throughout the season.