The Jets shut out Pittsburgh 17-0 on August 21 to move to 1-1 this preseason, then lost Breece Hall to a groin strain for two to three weeks and waived kicker Cade York. The preseason finale against the Giants kicks off tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET, and the roster must be cut to 53 by Sunday.
It was the loudest week of the summer, and almost all of it pointed at one date. Below is everything that mattered between August 21 and this morning, with links to our full coverage of each story. For the wider picture, our Jets analysis hub collects the season’s reporting in one place.
What happened in the Jets’ preseason win over Pittsburgh?
The Jets blanked the Steelers 17-0 last Friday night, and the two things worth keeping from it were both encouraging. Geno Smith went 7-of-7 for 65 yards and a touchdown on his only series, which is the entire point of a preseason quarterback appearance — get in, look sharp, get out healthy. The defense did the rest, keeping Pittsburgh out of the end zone all night.
A shutout in August is not evidence of anything durable, but a clean series from Smith is worth something. Full breakdown: Jets blank Steelers 17-0 as Geno Smith looks healthy and the defense holds.
How badly is Breece Hall hurt?
Hall strained his right groin at practice on Monday, August 17, and head coach Aaron Glenn put the running back at two to three weeks. He has not been placed on injured reserve, which is the detail that matters most — the Jets still expect him available for the September 13 opener at Tennessee, and IR would have cost him the first four games.
Braelon Allen takes the early-down work while Hall sits. The full report, including what the recovery involves, is in our Breece Hall groin injury update, and everything else on the training-room front lives on the Jets injuries hub.
Who is the Jets’ kicker now?
Jason Sanders, and for the moment he is the only one on the roster. The Jets waived York on Tuesday, per Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic, ending a camp competition neither kicker had won cleanly — York missed in Pittsburgh, Sanders converted both of his attempts. Carrying one kicker into a Sunday deadline is a statement of sorts, though the Jets could still add a leg once other clubs make their cuts. Details: Jets waive Cade York, leaving Jason Sanders the job.
Which injured Jets are trending toward Week 1?
Glenn’s Tuesday briefing was about as good as an injury update gets in late August. T’Vondre Sweat, Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare were cleared for full practice. Qwan’tez Stiggers, Nahshon Wright and Kiko Mauigoa were limited. Kenyon Sadiq, D’Angelo Ponds and Hall are all still working back, with Week 1 as the stated target for each.
Glenn did not attach specific diagnoses to the limited group, so treat those three as day-to-day rather than as anything more. Reported by Heavy.com from Glenn’s press conference ahead of the finale.
What is at stake in tonight’s preseason finale?
Roster spots, and not much else. The starters will be spectators. What is live is the back half of the depth chart: the backup quarterback job behind Smith, the edge rotation, and a handful of bubble players with one audition left. Our preview lays out who to watch: Jets vs. Giants preview — the last audition before cuts.
What else did Jets Insider publish this week?
We added a five-part Jets Explained library on Monday. The two most relevant this weekend are how the Jets build the roster and why the Jets carry three quarterbacks, both of which explain much of what you will see by 6 p.m. Sunday.
What to watch next week
Sunday is the week. Every club must be down to 53 players by 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 30, per the NFL’s roster cuts tracker. Waiver claims are settled Monday afternoon, and practice squads — up to 16 players, 17 with an International Pathway addition — must be set by Monday evening. Expect the Jets to be active on both ends of that, particularly at kicker and along the defensive line.
After that, the real thing. The Jets open the regular season on Sunday, September 13 at Tennessee, 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS. Between now and then the only questions that matter are whether Hall’s groin cooperates and who survives the weekend.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Jets’ 53-man roster deadline?
Sunday, August 30, 2026 at 6 p.m. ET. Every NFL club must reduce its active roster from 90 players to 53 by that time. Waiver claims on released players are awarded Monday, August 31, and practice squads must be finalized that evening.
Will Breece Hall be ready for Week 1?
The Jets expect so. Aaron Glenn gave a two-to-three-week timeline for Hall’s groin strain, which was suffered August 17, and the Jets have kept him off injured reserve. That points to availability for the September 13 opener at Tennessee, though the team has not committed to it.
What is the Jets’ preseason record in 2026?
1-1 entering the finale. The Jets lost to Tampa Bay 24-16 on August 14 and shut out Pittsburgh 17-0 on August 21. The preseason closes tonight, August 28, against the Giants at MetLife Stadium.