The Jets cut to 52 players, were awarded kicker Blake Grupe and linebacker Trevin Wallace off waivers, named six captains without Garrett Wilson among them, and learned Joseph Ossai ruptured his plantar fascia. Kenyon Sadiq is practicing again. The regular season opens September 13 at Tennessee.
This was the week the 2026 roster stopped being hypothetical: 90 players became 52, and the training room produced one setback and one relief. Everything from August 28 through this morning is below, with links to our full reporting. The season’s wider coverage lives on the Jets analysis hub.
How did the Jets’ preseason end?
Badly, and with the starters watching. The Giants beat the Jets 23-6 at MetLife Stadium on August 28, leaving New York 1-2 for the summer. The Jets led 6-0 on an opening drive of ten straight runs, finished by Chip Trayanum, and never scored again. Jason Sanders missed the extra point. The defense forced two first-quarter takeaways; the rest drained away. Full breakdown: Jets fall 23-6 to the Giants in the preseason finale.
What does the Jets’ opening roster look like?
Thirty-eight players came off the active roster on August 30, and the Jets stopped at 52 rather than 53 — an open spot heading into waiver claims, which they used to take kicker Blake Grupe and linebacker Trevin Wallace off waivers on Monday. Grupe resolves a kicking room the club had been carrying with a single leg on it.
Trayanum, cornerback Tre Brown and Mykal Walker went to reserve/injured; Anez Cooper and VJ Payne to reserve/injured with a designation to return; Tyler Baron to reserve/PUP. Full transaction list on NewYorkJets.com. Several of those calls traced straight back to the Giants game: six Jets hurt against the Giants and how it reshaped the roster.
How serious is Joseph Ossai’s foot injury?
Ossai ruptured the plantar fascia in his foot in the finale — the only one of the six injured players to survive the cut — and head coach Aaron Glenn called him week-to-week on August 31. He is not on injured reserve, which preserves his Week 1 availability in theory, though nobody has committed to it and no return date has been given. Friday night was his Jets debut. Our full report is Joseph Ossai ruptured his plantar fascia and is week-to-week, and every current designation is tracked on the Jets injuries hub.
Is Kenyon Sadiq going to play in the opener?
He practiced on September 1 for the first time since hernia surgery wiped out his OTAs and all three preseason games, and both Glenn and offensive coordinator Frank Reich say the rookie tight end will be available at Tennessee on a reduced snap count. The Jets kept their first-round pick on the active roster rather than a reserve list, which told you what they expected. Details: Kenyon Sadiq returns to practice, in line for a limited Week 1 role.
Who is backing up Geno Smith?
Cade Klubnik, and Glenn said so out loud on August 31 rather than leaving it to a depth chart. Bailey Zappe, released in the cutdown, returned to the practice squad on September 1 as insurance behind him. Our write-up: Cade Klubnik is the Jets’ backup quarterback.
What happened with Cam Camper?
Waived on August 30 after a head and neck injury against the Giants, he cleared waivers unclaimed and re-signed to the practice squad on September 1 — the outcome the club was betting on. The scenarios: Jets waive Cam Camper. The resolution: Camper returns to the practice squad.
Who are the Jets’ 2026 captains?
Six were named Thursday, September 3: quarterback Geno Smith, linebacker Demario Davis, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, guard Joe Tippmann, defensive tackle Harrison Phillips and returner Isaiah Williams. The list is notable for who is not on it. Garrett Wilson, the team’s leading receiver and one of its longest-tenured players, was not selected, and none of the 2025 captains still on the roster kept the role — a clean break worth remembering in December. Reported by ProFootballTalk.
What to watch next week
The first real injury report of the season. Regular-season participation reports begin midweek, and that is when Ossai’s foot and Breece Hall‘s groin stop being press-conference adjectives and become official designations. Hall has been pointed at Week 1 since Glenn’s two-to-three-week timeline on August 17.
Then the season. The Jets open at Tennessee on Sunday, September 13 at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS, per the NFL’s Week 1 schedule. Expect the practice squad to keep turning over until then; the offensive line group there has already changed twice this week.
Frequently asked questions
When do the Jets play their first game of the 2026 season?
Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. ET, on the road against the Tennessee Titans. The game is on CBS. The Jets’ home opener follows a week later against Green Bay.
Who are the New York Jets captains for 2026?
Six players: quarterback Geno Smith, linebacker Demario Davis, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, guard Joe Tippmann, defensive tackle Harrison Phillips and returner Isaiah Williams. The Jets announced the group on September 3, 2026. Garrett Wilson was not among them.
Will Joseph Ossai play in Week 1?
It is unresolved. Aaron Glenn described Ossai as week-to-week on August 31 after the edge rusher ruptured his plantar fascia in the preseason finale. He was not placed on injured reserve, so he remains eligible for the opener, but the Jets have not announced a return date.