The New York Jets don’t just have a problem on defense. They have the problem that will define their offseason. Zero interceptions through 12 games. Only two takeaways total. And a historically bad turnover pace that has become the defining storyline of a 3-9 season.
The scale of the drought is staggering. The Jets have not intercepted a pass since Week 18 of last season, when Ashtyn Davis secured two picks against the Dolphins. Davis now plays for Miami, who visits MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Since his departure, New York hasn’t found a single takeaway in the air.
Those numbers place the Jets on track to set a new NFL record for fewest total takeaways. The current mark belongs to the 2018 San Francisco 49ers, who finished with seven. That same San Francisco team also owns the modern-era record for fewest interceptions in a season with two. Even the 1982 Houston Oilers and 2020 Houston Texans managed three.
Every one of those teams finished with a losing record. The Jets are trending the same direction, and league insiders say the trend exposes a glaring offseason priority: the team must overhaul how it creates turnovers.
Speaking this week, defensive coordinator Steve Wilks acknowledged the urgency. “It’s something that we’ve been talking about, preaching, emphasizing, teaching, and we know they come in bunches and hopefully that’s going to be this week,” Wilks said. He pointed to technique breakdowns, missed chances, and the need for better play-calling structure. “We’ve had opportunities, and we just got to be able to finish.”
ESPN’s Rich Cimini underscored the issue, noting that “every other team has at least seven takeaways.” That comparison, as one Jets source told him, has pushed the organization to begin “early evaluation” on personnel and strategy changes that will shape their offseason plan.
Head coach Aaron Glenn added another layer, calling the interception drought “puzzling,” especially for a defense that ranks top-10 in passing yards allowed at 196.1 per game. The Jets cover well. They just don’t finish plays. That inability has created a turnover differential of minus-12, second worst in the league.
This is why insiders believe New York’s top offseason priority won’t be offense, quarterback play, or even the offensive line. It will be reshaping the defense into a unit capable of taking the ball away. That includes possible additions at safety, corner depth, and edge defenders with proven turnover production. It may also require philosophical adjustments after the Jets went through nearly three months of football without an interception.
There’s a potential spark ahead: the Dolphins arrive with 18 giveaways, including 14 interceptions from Tua Tagovailoa, one of the highest totals in the league. Whether the Jets capitalize or continue their historic slide will only fuel the conversation.
But the verdict around the NFL is already clear. If the Jets want 2026 to look different, fixing their turnover problem isn’t optional. It’s the offseason priority.