5 Things To Watch As Jets Face Titans In Week 1 Of 2026 Nfl Season

The Jets and Tennessee Titans were two of the worst teams in the NFL last season, as they each won just three games. However, Sunday’s season opening clash in Nashville represents an opportunity for each team to get its first win under its belt straight away.

Let’s review the top storylines to watch as the Jets look to get off to a winning start...

Geno Smith’s redemption arc starts here

The last time Geno Smith started a regular season game for the Jets was in October 2016 as the 2-5 Jets lost to the Baltimore Ravens. Smith threw an early touchdown pass but then got knocked out of the game in the second quarter with a season-ending knee injury.

A lot has changed since then. Smith has been a backup on multiple other teams before earning a shot to start in Seattle, with whom he went to the postseason and earned Pro Bowl recognition twice.

As Smith prepares for his first start in his second go-round with the Jets, everyone is waiting to see whether the 35-year-old will perform like he did in Seattle, or should we expect the 2025 version of Smith who led the league in interceptions with the Raiders?

Will Demario Davis and Minkah Fitzpatrick help to eradicate defensive breakdowns?

A feature of the Jets’ defensive struggles in 2025 were defensive breakdowns, often leading to big plays for opposing offenses. The addition of Demario Davis and Minkah Fitzpatrick gives New York two experienced veterans with high-level leadership and communication skills.

Can we expect things to improve overnight though? In limited playing time together in preseason, the starters still had a few plays where receivers were uncovered or two defenders ended up covering the same player. 

If everyone is lined up correctly and knows their assignments, this will force Titans quarterback Cam Ward into quick decisions and can hopefully prevent Tennessee from getting any free chunk plays in what could be a tight affair.

Our first look at Keynon Sadiq and D’Angelo Ponds

Rookies Kenyon Sadiq and D’Angelo Ponds were unable to play in preseason due to injuries, and each of them has missed a valuable few weeks of practices.

It’s difficult to know how much of a role either of these players will have, as the Jets have other options to contribute at each position. On the team’s unofficial depth chart Brandon Stephens, Azareye’h Thomas and Jarvis Brownlee are listed as the starters at cornerback and Jeremy Ruckert and Mason Taylor are listed as the starting tight ends.

While neither of them necessarily needs to be available for a full-time role in Week 1, the fact that nobody knows what to expect could tempt the Jets to employ each of them situationally and it will be interesting to see how they respond.

Which former Jets will have an impact against their old team?

New Titans head coach Robert Saleh wasn’t shy about targeting some of the players he had coached with the Jets during the offseason. The Titans begin the season with five ex-Jets on the active roster and six others on the practice squad or injured reserve.

Of the five on the active roster, four are defensive linemen, so there will be multiple players trying to make an impact in the pass rush. John Franklin-Myers has already been a thorn in the Jets’ side a couple of times with the Broncos and Jermaine Johnson will be eager to make an impact in his first game since leaving the Jets.

Can the Jets end their interception drought?

It’s still difficult to fathom that the Jets went an entire season without intercepting a pass, but they enter Sunday’s game hoping to end that streak before it gets extended to 18 games.

When the Jets signed Nahshon Wright in the offseason, he was considered one of the most likely players to reverse this trend having intercepted five passes last season. However, with Ponds back, Wright might not even be in the rotation. He could even be a healthy scratch.

Signs were positive in preseason, as the Jets intercepted three passes. However, of the three players to come up with an interception, Andre Cisco is the only one likely to get any significant playing time on Sunday.

The Jets won the turnover battle just twice all season in 2025, losing one of those two games. With head coach Aaron Glenn now in charge of defensive playcalling, the Jets can instantly become more competitive by performing better in this key area.