Six New York Jets Stars With Most To Gain Down Final Stretch of Season

Despite their season spiraling, there are six players on the New York Jets who have a lot to prove down the stretch.

Sep 15, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Malachi Corley (17) takes the field against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at Nissan Stadium. / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The 2024 season has not gone how the New York Jets thought it would.

Anything that could have gone wrong has. The Jets are 3-7, losers in six out of their last seven games, with some truly embarrassing performances.

While they aren’t officially eliminated from the postseason, good luck finding anyone optimistic that New York is capable of making a run.

Despite what is shaping up as a lost season, there are still plenty of players with something to prove down the stretch. Here are six Jets with the most to gain.

Haason Reddick

It took until Week 8 for the veteran pass rusher to make his debut with New York. He was a contract holdout after being acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles in an offseason trade, as he was demanding a new contract.

While a long-term deal wasn’t worked out, an amended one-year contract got him to report. Reddick will be motivated to make up for lost time, as he hits free agency after the season.

How he handled things after the trade will rub some franchises the wrong way. But if he can remind everyone just how dominant he can be down the stretch, a deal closer to what he is seeking could come to the table.

Jeff Ulbrich

It surprised people when ownership fired head coach Robert Saleh following the team’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was named the interim head coach.

Things haven’t gone well under his watch. The offense remains inconsistent and the defensive production has fallen off. But, there may not be a person with more to gain over the last seven games than him.

Getting the Jets to play at a respectable level could put him in the running for the full-time job. At the least, he can show he's capable of being a good motivator. Keeping the Jets engaged in a lost season bodes well for his future prospects.

Olu Fashanu

The team’s first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft has gotten reps at his natural left tackle spot in the wake of Tyron Smith's injury. He's already played right tackle and guard.

He is someone the franchise must get more snaps. He is a key part of the Jets' future. A franchise left tackle makes the quarterback's life easier.

The position has been a hole in the lineup after whiffing on Mekhi Becton in the 2020 NFL draft. Fashanu has immense talent and was considered a bit of a project and getting him as many reps as possible is imperative.

Sauce Gardner

It was not too long ago that the No. 4 in the 2022 NFL Draft was considered among the elite at the cornerback position. Some of the shine has worn off this season.

Teams are attacking him more regularly, in part because of how well D.J. Reed has played opposite of him. He is still a solid player, but there are some areas he could improve upon.

Chief among them is tackling. Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride carrying him before shedding his tackle was a viral highlight that Gardner never wants to be part of again.

A first-team All-Pro selection the first two seasons of his career, he needs to get back on track and show people he can be a franchise cornerstone as his fifth-year option can be exercised this offseason.

Malachi Corley

The opportunities for the team’s third-round pick in the 2024 draft should start ticking up. With Mike Williams traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Allen Lazard on injured reserve, the No. 3 spot is up for grabs.

The Jets need the rest of the season to evaluate younger players and see who can be part of the solution. If a new regime is brought in, it can be tough for a young player to earn their spot.

This is the time for Corley to prove he deserves a larger role.

Will McDonald IV

The Jets pass rush has not been as dominant this season. Viewed as a strength coming into the year, the production has been spotty.

McDonald leads the team in sacks, which is encouraging after a lackluster rookie campaign in 2023. But, there are concerns if he can anchor a unit given he's just in his second season.

Five of his sacks came in a two-game span against the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots. He had one sack in three straight games against the Vikings, Buffalo Bills and Steelers.

He is also missing tackles at an significant rate, providing little as an edge-setter in the run game.

He hasn’t recorded a sack since Week 7. Even with Reddick now in the lineup, Is McDonald struggling because teams are game-planning against him?

If he doesn’t show some more consistency, edge rusher could become an offseason need to address.