The Halloween season has come and gone, and the aftermath from a week of change is being seen at MetLife Stadium. Entering their bye week after earning their first win of the season, the New York Jets shocked the league with their busy trade deadline. The Jets defense no longer features Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams as their starters after they were each traded to the Indianapolis Colts & Dallas Cowboys. However, the return of beloved wide receiver Garrett Wilson will be a boost for New York’s offense. After missing the last two games due to a knee injury, he’s back. The 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year has been cleared to return for this week’s game vs. the Cleveland Browns.
Injury report: Garrett Wilson said he’s “super pumped” to be back on the field. He said he’ll be ready to go vs Cleveland. #Jets pic.twitter.com/6XtSGvG3eb
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) November 6, 2025
NY Jets Get Momentum Boost With the Return of Garrett Wilson
This week, the team parted ways in blockbuster trades that will alter their defense. First, star cornerback Sauce Gardner was traded to the Indianapolis Colts, followed by defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who was traded to the Dallas Cowboys. Through these two deals, the two former Top-Five picks brought the Jets three first-round picks between the next two seasons. While fans will miss the contributions of these former All-Pro talents, it has given the fanbase a sense of optimism long-term. Especially if those draft picks can become a future franchise quarterback.
However, there are still nine games left in the 2025 season. To make it to the offseason, the Jets still have to finish this year with more than one win. While the defense will miss the presence of Gardner & Williams, they do get some fortunate news on offense. It’s great news for quarterback Justin Fields after Garrett Wilson informed the media he’s been cleared to return this week.
Star Wide Receiver Ready to Return After Knee Injury
Despite the lows this franchise has experienced, Garrett Wilson has been one of the few bright spots. Since arriving as the tenth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Wilson has been vital to the team. Despite multiple head coaches, offensive coordinators, and quarterbacks, Wilson has averaged over 1,000 yards a season to begin his career. Due to the lack of organizational competency, these numbers are more than impressive. They’re exceptional.
So, when Wilson was slow to get up in the closing drive of the Denver Broncos game in London, fans were panicked. After recording 395 yards and four touchdowns on 36 catches, Wilson missed the last two games due to the injury. New York would lose to the Carolina Panthers the following week, 13-6. In addition, Wilson missed the win against the Cincinnati Bengals last week, which would have also served as a homecoming for the Ohio State Alum. However, the Jets hope that giving Wilson the additional rest would allow him to play out the remainder of the season.
"He's a dog"
Garrett Wilson on AD Mitchell pic.twitter.com/O9FO4XQc36
— New York Jets (@nyjets) November 6, 2025
New Look Wide Receiver Room
While the return of Garrett Wilson has fans elated, the trade deadline also changed the position group this week. As part of the return in the Sauce Gardner trade, New York acquired Adonai Mitchell from the Colts. Last year, Mitchell was drafted with the 52nd overall pick out of the University of Texas. The return to Austin for the Texas native boosted his value with a stellar junior season. He finished the year with 845 yards and 11 touchdowns from 55 catches. It was a slow start to his career in Indianapolis, recording 32 catches for 464 yards and no touchdowns. After falling behind a trio of talented wide receivers in Michael Pittman, Alec Pierce, and Josh Downs, perhaps the change of scenery can bode well for Mitchell.
In addition, the Jets also acquired 2022 second-round pick John Metchie III at the trade deadline as well. Last week, Metchie was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles as part of the Michael Carter trade. Originally selected with the 44th pick by the Houston Texans, he was traded to Philadelphia in April in exchange for tight end Harrison Bryant. Despite an exciting career at the University of Alabama, Metchie is still finding himself. His NFL career was already behind the eight ball after suffering a torn ACL in the 2022 National Championship game, then missing his entire rookie season due to Acute promyelocytic leukemia.
Low Risk, High Reward Depth at Wide Receiver
However, even with their slow starts, both can provide value to the Jets. Behind Garrett Wilson, the Jets are weak at long-term wide receivers. While they haven’t been early bloomers, both Metchie and Mitchell are former top 60 draft picks for a reason. One shouldn’t expect them to finish with over 1,000 yards individually. However, both men are under 26 years old (Metchie, 25 and Mitchell,23) and offer more upside compared to veterans like Allen Lazard and Josh Reynolds. With their draft capital, the Jets will likely draft a quarterback early this offseason. A solid gift to a rookie quarterback is a reliable wide receiver room. Should either man provide decent WR3 production, it would be a big benefit to Darren Mougey’s offseason next year.
Main Photo: [Vincent Carchietta] – Imagn Images
