The New York Jets went 3-14 in their first season under Aaron Glenn, extending the NFL\u2019s longest active playoff drought to 15 seasons. Will the Jets make it any easier to be a fan this year?<\/p>\n
The reset started before last season even ended. At the trade deadline, the Jets dealt cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. Turnover continued in the offseason, including a March trade that sent edge rusher Jermaine Johnson to the Tennessee Titans for 366-pound nose tackle T\u2019Vondre Sweat.<\/p>\n
Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey return for their second season together, but the coaching staff has changed around them. Frank Reich is the new offensive coordinator, while Brian Duker takes over as defensive coordinator. Glenn will call the defensive plays<\/a> himself this season after saying he missed doing so in 2025.<\/p>\n Geno Smith is back at quarterback a decade after leaving the Jets. He\u2019ll have something to work with: Breece Hall is coming off his first 1,000-yard rushing season, and the sure-handed Garrett Wilson<\/a> remains the top receiving threat. The offensive line is still young, but continuity gives the group a stronger foundation than it had a year ago.<\/p>\n On defense, New York added veteran safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and brought linebacker Demario Davis back for a third stint with the franchise, while edge rusher David Bailey arrives as the No. 2 overall pick.<\/p>\n The Jets\u2019 television schedule is weirdly simple, at least before any possible flexes. New York does not have a primetime game scheduled; all eight home kickoffs are at 1 p.m. local time, and its first 16 games are split between CBS and Fox. Only the Week 18 trip to the Buffalo Bills remains TBD. The season also opens in Tennessee against former Jets head coach Robert Saleh.<\/p>\n Make sure you\u2019re following the Jets<\/a> and senior writer Zack Rosenblatt<\/a> on The Athletic for year-round coverage.<\/p>\n All times listed below are ET.<\/p>\n The full 2026 New York Jets schedule<\/p>\n \t Wk.MatchupDateTimeNetwork1@ Sunday, Sept. 13 1:00\u00a0p.m. CBS 2 Sunday, Sept. 20 1:00\u00a0p.m. Fox 3@ Sunday, Sept. 27 1:00\u00a0p.m. Fox 4@ Sunday, Oct. 4 1:00\u00a0p.m. Fox 5 Sunday, Oct. 11 1:00\u00a0p.m. CBS 6@ Sunday, Oct. 18 1:00\u00a0p.m. CBS 7 Sunday, Oct. 25 1:00\u00a0p.m. CBS 8 Sunday, Nov. 1 1:00\u00a0p.m. Fox 9@ Sunday, Nov. 8 1:00\u00a0p.m. CBS 10 Sunday, Nov. 15 1:00\u00a0p.m. CBS 11@ Sunday, Nov. 22 4:05\u00a0p.m. Fox 12@ Sunday, Nov. 29 1:00\u00a0p.m. CBS 13 BYE 14 Sunday, Dec. 13 1:00\u00a0p.m. CBS 15@ Sunday, Dec. 20 4:05\u00a0p.m. Fox 16 Sunday, Dec. 27 1:00\u00a0p.m. CBS 17 Sunday, Jan. 3 1:00\u00a0p.m. CBS 18@ <\/p>\n TBA<\/p>\n \t\tCable\/satellite\/streaming base<\/p>\n The most expansive option for live game coverage is a multichannel plan. That includes streamers like Fubo, Sling TV and YouTube TV, or more traditional providers like DirecTV, Dish and Xfinity. We lay out cord-cutting alternatives for each NFL media partner down below, but there\u2019s a certain peace of mind to the consolidation of pay television.<\/p>\n How Aaron Glenn pulled Frank Reich back into NFL coaching<\/p>\n Zack Rosenblatt<\/p>\n CBS<\/p>\n Main window: Sunday afternoon (in-market fans)<\/p>\n Playoffs: 1 wild-card game, 1 divisional game, AFC Championship Game<\/p>\n Each week, CBS carries games across two Sunday kickoff slots: one at 1 p.m., and another at 4:05 p.m. or the national window at 4:25 p.m. There will be 10 nationwide Sunday doubleheaders this year on CBS. Broadcasts are set by region when there are multiple offerings in a spot.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not a clean split, but CBS is known as the primary home of the AFC. The network\u2019s theme music<\/a> is a certified slapper.<\/p>\n Its main pregame show, \u201cThe NFL Today,\u201d adds recent retirees Russell Wilson and Kyle Long to its studio crew. CBS announcers include Jim Nantz and Ian Eagle, while the color commentary rotation stars JJ Watt.<\/p>\n What you\u2019ll need to watch: A pay TV package, or an indoor TV antenna<\/a> for free over-the-air viewing. Local CBS games also stream on Paramount+.<\/p>\n Fox<\/p>\n Main window: Sunday afternoon (in-market fans)<\/p>\n Playoffs: 1 wild-card game, 1 divisional game, NFC Championship Game<\/p>\n Like CBS, Fox splits Sunday afternoons between early 1 p.m. action and later 4:05\/4:25 p.m. matchups. Its centerpiece is branded as \u201cAmerica\u2019s Game of the Week.\u201d Unlike CBS, Fox has a dancing robot named Cleatus<\/a>. It\u2019s the nominal network for the NFC as well.<\/p>\n Kevin Burkhardt, Joe Davis and Adam Amin are the lead play-by-play voices. Burkhardt pairs with Jets heel Tom Brady, while Davis calls games alongside Greg Olsen. Amin is partnered with newcomer Drew Brees, who is fresh off his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction. Some Spanish-language broadcasts are available on Fox Deportes.<\/p>\n What you\u2019ll need to watch: A pay TV package, or an antenna for free over-the-air viewing. Local Fox games also stream on Fox One.<\/p>\n NFL Sunday Ticket and NFL RedZone<\/p>\n Main window: Sunday afternoon (out-of-market fans)<\/p>\n These two are the access points for all non-national matchups that aren\u2019t on regional CBS or Fox.<\/p>\n NFL Sunday Ticket has full games. It\u2019s exclusive to YouTube and YouTube TV. Those without a YouTube TV plan can still get NFL Sunday Ticket as a primetime channel through the standard YouTube app.<\/p>\n RedZone is the whip-around program that jumps around the slate to cover scoring drives. This is the place for Scott Hanson<\/a>, \u201cthe witching hour\u201d and chaotic octobox split screens. It can be added to NFL Sunday Ticket, and it\u2019s included on some high-end pay TV sports plans.<\/p>\n RedZone also lives on NFL+ Premium, which can be bundled with the ESPN Unlimited plan.<\/p>\n What you\u2019ll need to watch: An NFL Sunday Ticket subscription through YouTube TV or the YouTube app; NFL RedZone access through select pay TV packages, ESPN Unlimited or NFL+ Premium.<\/p>\n NBC and Peacock<\/p>\n Main window: Sunday night<\/p>\n Playoffs: 2 wild-card games, 1 divisional game<\/p>\n This is the faithful home of \u201cSunday Night Football\u201d each weekend. And because everything has to be confusing, the NBC lineup opens with a Wednesday night season premiere. At least SNF has a consistent 8:20 p.m. start time.<\/p>\n Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth are in the booth, with Melissa Stark reporting from the sidelines. Carrie Underwood sings about waiting all day for Sunday night<\/a>. NBC\u2019s \u201cFootball Night in America\u201d pregame show brings on longtime head coach Mike Tomlin. Telemundo has the telecasts in Spanish.<\/p>\n The network has two extra Saturday offerings for Week 17. One is exclusive to Peacock, and both matchups will be announced later in the season. The same goes for NBC\u2019s Week 18 regular-season finale.<\/p>\n \u201cSunday Night Football\u201d is subject to flex scheduling \u2014 games can be swapped in and out of the window twice between Weeks 5-10 and any time from Weeks 11-17. This allows executives to pick games with greater playoff implications, though it leaves the actual ticket holders in a bind.<\/p>\n What you\u2019ll need to watch: A pay TV package, or an antenna for free over-the-air viewing, or a\u00a0Peacock account with the live sports plan.<\/p>\n ABC and ESPN<\/p>\n Main window: Monday night<\/p>\n Playoffs: 1 wild-card game, 1 divisional game, Super Bowl LXI<\/p>\n The Disney networks combine to cover 17 \u201cMonday Night Football\u201d games. Ten of those are on both ABC and ESPN, with another seven exclusive to the latter. The oft-maligned \u201cMonday Night Football\u201d doubleheader is now a thing of the past.<\/p>\n MNF kickoffs have 8:15 p.m. starts, and their schedule flexes can happen any time in Weeks 12-17. The two Saturday ABC\/ESPN matchups in Week 18 will be set as the postseason picture sharpens.<\/p>\n ESPN is preparing for its first Super Bowl broadcast ever on Feb. 14, 2027. It will be simulcast on ABC.<\/p>\n Joe Buck handles play-by-play for MNF. He\u2019s joined by analyst Troy Aikman, plus the sideline duo of Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge. Spanish-language airings can be found on ESPN Deportes. For 12 regular-season games and the Super Bowl, ESPN2 offers an alternate \u201cManningCast,\u201d in which Eli and Peyton Manning watch the games with famous fans. Guests have ranged from Bill Belichick<\/a> to Lil Wayne<\/a>.<\/p>\n What you\u2019ll need to watch: A pay TV package, or an antenna for ABC, or an ESPN Unlimited account.<\/p>\n Prime Video<\/p>\n Main window: Thursday night<\/p>\n Playoffs: 1 wild-card game<\/p>\n Most weeks begin with \u201cThursday Night Football,\u201d which kicks off at 8:15 p.m. Those games are behind the Prime paywall, but they\u2019re free over the air in the participants\u2019 home markets. Flex rules around TNF are a bit less hectic, with two allotments between Weeks 13-17.<\/p>\n Thursdays are called by Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit, with Kaylee Hartung on sideline duty. Herbstreit loves dogs<\/a>; Michaels hates vegetables<\/a>. Prime has Spanish-language coverage and advanced stat broadcast options within its app. Former Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is one of the pregame, halftime and postgame personalities.<\/p>\n What you\u2019ll need to watch: Amazon Prime. TNF is also free on Twitch with a registered account.<\/p>\n NFL Network<\/p>\n