Jets Training Camp Notes: Geno Smith And Garrett Wilson Building Chemistry, Isaiah Williams' Growing Role

There aren’t external expectations for the Jets – at least not any of substance. 

Their head coach is on the hot seat. Their quarterback is a lame duck. Their defense, absent one or two, is void of any long-term mainstays. Their playoff drought seemingly destined to extend another year.

And they kind of like it that way.

After welcoming the target on their back during the Aaron Rodgers Era, the Jets are now under the radar. No one outside their fan base is paying them any mind. Wait until next year is the sentiment – that’s when they can use their treasure trove of draft picks to select their new franchise passer.

So two weeks into camp, the Jets are just going about their business. Enjoying a (mostly) newsless summer. But the regular season is approaching. And there are aspects of this team to be excited about. 

Here are a few takeaways from the team’s second week of practices.

Aggressiveness is key

The Jets finished last in the league in pass plays of 20-plus yards a season ago (27). It would be quite the upset if that’s the case in 2026 with Geno Smith. His blessing is also his curse – he is aggressive and will give his receivers chances to make plays. There is no such thing as a 50-50 ball with him. You can tell Garrett Wilson and the wideouts love that. The downside, obviously, is that it will lead to an uptick in interceptions.

Honestly, does anyone really care? It’s a welcome change after a year of passive Rodgers and terrified-to-throw Justin Fields.

It’s clearly a point of emphasis in Florham Park to stretch the field. The first play on Thursday was a deep ball down the seam to Omar Cooper. Andre Cisco broke it up, but it was a play absent from this offense the last couple of years. On Saturday, Smith connected on a 36-yard touchdown to Isaiah Williams. The ball was deflected, but Williams relocated it to secure it for the score. Again: A ball that wasn’t thrown the last two seasons.

Smith is not a perfect quarterback – it’s why he’s on his third team in as many seasons. But he still, at 35, throws a really pretty ball and will find windows others don’t even attempt. That’s been evident this summer.

The connection is growing

Wilson is a unique receiver. He’s not a technician in the sense he runs routes exactly as they’re designed. It’s why he and Rodgers butted heads so much. Rodgers wanted his receivers to do exactly what the play called for within a quarter of a yard. If the in is designed to break at 7.5 yards – you better break in at 7.5 yards. Wilson, though, is more of a player who gets to an area on the field, then gets open – that’s his superpower.

It takes a little bit for a quarterback and receiver like that to get on the same page. You’re starting to see Smith and Wilson find that chemistry, though. They connected for five completions on five attempts on Friday. Wilson worked in-and-out of the lineup in Saturday’s scrimmage, but closed with three catches in the two-minute drill to close practice.

One thing is clear: Wilson is a focal point of the passing attack. The Jets and offensive coordinator Frank Reich want to get him the ball. He’ll see his targets – even more as the relationship with Smith grows.

Learning curve

It’s been a quiet start to training camp for rookie Omar Cooper. He’s a unique player in that his skill set isn’t one that shines on the practice field. He’s not the biggest (6-foot) or fastest (4.42 40-yard dash). He’s still fine-tuning his route running. He will make some plays, but he hasn’t been a summer standout like the Summer of Elijah Moore in 2021.

That might be because Cooper is the type of player you get the ball, then he shines. Elusiveness, physicality, broken tackles and yards after the catch. That’s what made him special at Indiana, but isn’t totally visible until the games start.

There’s nothing to panic about here. There have been some splashes, just maybe not as much consistent playmaking as some would expect out of a first-round pick.

More than just a returner

Isaiah Williams, last year’s team MVP, keeps making plays on offense. He earned praise earlier in the week from Aaron Glenn, who then doubled down after the scrimmage. Williams caught four passes with the starters, including a 36-yard touchdown on the first drive. He later had a 50-plus-yard catch from Cade Klubnik to set up another score with the backups.

He is flashing time and time again. He’s having the best summer of any receiver not named Garrett Wilson.

Glenn said he’s someone whose play “demands” more reps. His play has forced the staff to “make sure he’s involved.”

Williams still works behind Wilson, AD Mitchell and Cooper. I wouldn’t expect that to change. He very clearly is someone who needs to see time with the offense come the regular season, though.

The return of the bellcow

The Jets gave Breece Hall a contract extension this offseason, and it looks like they plan on featuring him more prominently as their lead back this season. Glenn, going into his first season, made it a point to stress a backfield committee, implying a near-even split between Hall, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. The latter two won’t be uninvolved, but it’s clear the focus is Hall… then Allen… then Davis.

Pretty crazy heel turn. Had Allen not suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Dolphins, there’s a very real chance the Jets trade Hall at the deadline.

Hall has looked good this summer. So, too, has Allen. He really is a create-a-player with his size (6-1, 235).

That guy is different

I covered my first training camp in 2014. I’ve been at one every year since, and two a year since SNY hired me five years ago. No, the teams I cover haven’t been very good, but you can tell when there is someone on the field who is better than those guys around him.

David Bailey is one of those guys.

The speed he comes off the edge with, the regularity he makes plays. He worked with the reserves most of the offseason program. He took over on the starting defense to begin training camp and has tormented Olu Fashanu (something to monitor here) most days since. Bailey is good for multiple pressures each day, and usually a sack, too. That’s what he did in the scrimmage. He had a sack, and drew two penalties that wrecked drives.

It will be fun to see him go against the Bucs in joint practices on Tuesday and Wednesday.

This could be an issue

The Jets secondary is a problem. Minkah Fitzpatrick can still play at safety, but just about everyone else is a borderline liability. Brandon Stephens, AZ Thomas and Jarvis Brownlee have struggled this summer. Cisco started working with the second unit on Saturday. D’Angelo Ponds should help, but that’s a lot to put on the plate of a rookie corner.

Quarterbacks should be able to pick apart that group – unless the pass rush gets home. The problem there: While Bailey looks very good, no one else has stepped up as a rusher. Will McDonald, a holdover from the Robert Saleh regime, started camp with the second team, got a promotion because of injuries, but isn’t making his presence felt. Without Quinnen Williams, there isn’t a force on the interior to push the quarterback outside.

Demario Davis is good, but older. Jamien Sherwood hasn’t returned to the form that earned him a new contract. Kiko Mauigoa has struggled immensely in coverage.

Glenn took over as defensive play caller, believing that to be his “superpower.” He made things work with an undermanned Lions defense, which helped solidify his case to take over as the Jets head coach. It looks like he’ll have his work cut out for him again this season.