Expectations for the New York Jets in 2026 are rock bottom. Expectations for the Jets in 2027 have the potential to be a lot higher – if one new report is to be believed.
Longtime NFL writer Jason La Canfora published a report this week suggesting that the New York Jets could be in the mix for a blockbuster pairing in 2027 consisting of former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach and current NBC analyst Mike Tomlin as their new coach and a trade for two-time NFL MVP QB Lamar Jackson.
For Tomlin, La Canfora quoted an executive who claims to know Jets owner Woody Johnson and believes he is currently “doing his homework on Tomlin.”
“Woody is starting to ask a lot of questions; he’s doing his homework on Tomlin,” the executive told La Canfora, via Casino.org. “This one has legs. I’m telling you. Mike is in New York at Rockefeller Center for NBC, Woody is back in charge at the facility, and he knows how steep the competition will be. You are going to hear a lot about the Jets.”
As for Jackson, La Canfora reported that he could seek a trade due to prior slow movement on extension talks with the Ravens.
“Multiple league executives believe Jackson could explore potential trade avenues following previous extension standoffs,” La Canfora wrote.
“If Tomlin takes the reins in New York, where the Jets boast premium draft capital—including three first-round selections—there is a belief Jackson would strongly evaluate the destination. The pair share a deep mutual respect built over years of AFC North battles, and New York’s defensive core provides an immediate foundation for a contender.”
Problems with the report
There’s a lot of problems with the report, not the least of which is that the 2026 season hasn’t even started yet and there’s really no telling whether current head coach Aaron Glenn or starting QB Geno Smith will lose their jobs before the end of the year. While the evidence certainly points in that direction, it’s significantly too early to look all the way to 2027.
Jets fans dismissed the report outright while fans of other teams laughed at the idea of the Jets being in any sort of position to entice Tomlin or Jackson to work for them:
“I refuse to speculate about 2027 HC candidates before Week 1 of the 2026 season has even begun,” one Jets fan wrote.
“If Lamar wants to win the ring, I promise he isn’t going to the jets and waste his time,” another fan wrote.
“All Jason does is make up fake scenarios,” a third said dismissively.
“Love to see @JasonLaCanfora spreading rumors that Woody Johnson is already thinking about firing Aaron Glenn. Should be really beneficial for the locker room’s morale to see that their coach is on the hot seat,” another mocked.
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A Tomlin and Jackson combination would certainly be interesting in the right situation but the Jets haven’t looked like the right situation for almost anything in over 15 years.
As low as the expectations are for 2026 (and as likely as they are to prove true), it’s about a month too early to start speculating about who will lose their jobs and about four months too early to speculate on who will get those jobs.
