- Total Trades: 4
- Average Grade: D (66.5)
This page lists all the 2026 Trades for the New York Jets. I’ve listed all of the NFL Free Agent Signing Grades here, which included the trades. Because I’ve begun posting polls for the trades, I thought it would make sense to list just the NFL trades here, so archiving the voting would be easier.
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March 2026 – Trades
Chiefs acquire QB Justin Fields from Jets for 2027 6th-round pick
One of the India-based NFL spam accounts “reported” that the Jets were seeking a first-round pick for Justin Fields. Apparently, that was way off the mark. The report missed by five rounds, with New York securing just a sixth-round selection for Fields.
Something else to note is that the Jets are also paying a chunk of Fields’ salary for this upcoming season to help facilitate this trade. It makes sense for the Jets to move on from Fields after owner Woody Johnson’s remarks during the previous season. It appeared as though the Jets had no leverage, so getting a sixth-rounder is fine. And Johnson has plenty of money, so there should be no issue paying Fields’ salary.
This trade makes sense for the Chiefs as well. Patrick Mahomes is no sure thing to perform well off a torn ACL. He may not be ready for the opener, so Fields could start the first couple of weeks. Fields has shown that he’s not a starting-caliber quarterback for the long haul, but he can be successful in some spot starts. It’ll also be interesting to see what Andy Reid, a quarterback whisperer, can get out of Fields. There’s a chance we could see Fields play the best football of his career, though knowing Mahomes, Fields also may never even play.
Grade for Chiefs – A-
Grade for Jets – B+
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Jets acquire QB Geno Smith from Raiders for late-round pick swap
Wow. To quote Butters, who sent this via text, “The fact that the Jets had to trade for Geno Smith shows how pathetic they are.”
I can’t believe the Jets traded for Smith, even if it’s a late-round pick swap. Now, I’m sure an ESPN DEI employee out there is thinking that this is a steal because they consider Smith to be a top-10 quarterback, but the truth is that Smith was never even close to being a top-10 quarterback. He at least was a mediocre starter once upon a time, but that’s not the case anymore. Smith is a horrendous, turnover-prone quarterback who makes idiotic decisions on the football field. He’s way past his prime, and he’s not worth any sort of pick swap.
The Raiders obviously won this trade. They would have won this trade had they received a sticky popcorn kernel off a movie theater floor in exchange for Smith, so the fact that they obtained a pick swap for him is almost miraculous.
Grade for Jets – TOP 10 MILLEN KIELBASA
Grade for Raiders – A+
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Jets acquire S Minkah Fitzpatrick from Dolphins for 2026 7th-round pick
If you think the Jets are getting Minkah Fitzpatrick for nothing, that is not the case. The Jets had to sign Fitzpatrick to a 3-year, $40 million contract as a result of this trade, so that’s the real compensation for the Pro Bowl safety.
Fitzpatrick is a turnover machine, so it’s likely that the Jets will secure at least one interception this season. Fitzpatrick is a major upgrade at safety; there’s no question about that. It may seem odd that the Jets, a team that is beginning its rebuilding process yet again, is signing what is perceived to be an older safety to a $40 million contract, but Fitzptrick is still just 29, so he’ll likely continue to be a very good player in a couple of years when New York could make a playoff run for the first time in eons.
As for the Dolphins, they weren’t getting much for Fitzpatrick, and they’re in full tank mode, so it made sense for them to trade their best defensive player. It’s disappointing that they only got a seventh-round pick, however.
Grade for Jets – B+
Grade for Dolphins – B-
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February 2026 – Trades
Jets acquire NT T'Vondre Sweat from Titans for DE Jermaine Johnson
The Jets and Titans have been two of the worst NFL franchises in terms of success on the field in recent years. It’s common to see such organizations ripped off in trades, but given that this deal occurred between two of the “lesser” teams, it makes sense that it would be a near-even swap.
I really like this trade for both teams. The Jets were in an awkward spot at No. 2 overall where they were expected to select Arvell Reese or David Bailey (check out our 2026 NFL Mock Draft for more) when they already had Will McDonald and Jermaine Johnson on the edge. They also had a huge need on the defensive line, with nose tackle being a big weakness for years. By trading Johnson for T’Vondre Sweat, the Jets are finally getting the monstrous run stuffer they’ve been missing, all while clearing a spot for Reese or Bailey.
The Titans, meanwhile, couldn’t generate any pressure on the quarterback last year, outside of Jeffery Simmons. They lost Harold Landry and didn’t replace him, but they’re doing that now with Johnson. It must be noted that Johnson logged just three sacks last year after missing most of 2024, but he’s a young edge rusher who was not quite 100 percent. He can revert to form in 2026 and once again come close to notching double-digit sacks.
Grade for Jets – A
Grade for Titans – A-
Comment on the other free agent signings below.
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