After a round of significant trades leading up to the Tuesday deadline, Breece Hall and Jermaine Johnson find themselves as remnants of a once-thriving Jets core.
For Hall, digesting this new landscape was challenging, but Johnson shared a hopeful view on the future for the team.
The Jets’ first-year GM, Darren Mousey, facilitated a deal sending Gardner to the Colts in exchange for wide receiver Adonai Mitchell along with two first-round picks for 2026 and 2027. Additionally, Williams was traded to Dallas for next year’s second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick, and defensive tackle Maji Smith.
In a now-deleted post on X, Hall expressed his frustration, saying, “I’m tired of my disrespectful man. They’re happy, but humans are sick.”
Johnson admitted that if he said he was okay with the departures of Williams and Gardner, he would be “lying.”
However, Johnson emphasized his belief in the organization, support staff, and teammates. “I said when I got drafted that I wanted to be the reason, or part of the reason, that this situation changes for the better. That will continue to be my outlook,” he stated in a partially referenced post on X.
Gardner joined the Jets in the same draft class as Hall and Johnson in 2022, while Williams was selected three years earlier, in 2019.
The trades have provided Mosey and the Jets’ front office with substantial draft opportunities—two first-round picks next year, two second-round picks next year, and three first-round picks in 2027, crucial for rebuilding efforts and searching for a franchise quarterback. However, some of their most talented players have now left the roster.
Interestingly, Hall was also mentioned in trade discussions prior to the deadline, although neither he nor standout wide receiver Garrett Wilson were ultimately moved.
This season, Hall has achieved 581 rushing yards and two touchdowns over eight games for a Jets offense that has struggled except in a couple of matchups. He is set to become a free agent at season’s end.
The Jets were expected to rely on a strong rushing lineup featuring Hall, Braylon Allen, Isiah Davis, and quarterback Justin Fields, but Allen’s MCL injury sustained in late September has hampered their running game significantly.
Coach Hall clarified early in the season that after Gardner and Wilson secured long-term contracts, he needed to demonstrate his worth in the new system to earn his extension.
Last season, Johnson was limited to just two games due to a torn Achilles, and has recorded a sack in five games this season.
Now, the Jets are faced with the reality of moving forward without their leading cornerback and defensive tackle as they prepare for their upcoming game against the Browns.
