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New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith reacting in the middle of an NFL game against the Tennessee Titans.
The New York Jets aren’t scheduled for any prime-time games on the 2026 NFL schedule.
That is the first time that has occurred in 19 years. In 2007, the Jets technically didn’t have any prime-time games, although they did have a standalone game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving.
Before the 2007 season, the Jets were scheduled to have a Sunday Night Football game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17. However, the NFL decided to flex that game out of prime-time.
If you don’t want to count that, the Jets haven’t had a season without at least one prime-time game since 1981.
For what it’s worth, the Jets finished with a 10-5-1 record in 1981 and made the playoffs that year.
I just cross-checked @pfref, it appears this is the first time in 19 years that the #Jets haven’t had a prime time game.
In 2007, they didn’t technically have a prime time game, although they did play the #DallasCowboys on Thanksgiving (which was a standalone game).
If you put
Five NFL teams didn’t get a single prime-time game in 2026, according to NFL Insider Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team:
Five NFL teams got zero primetime games:
– Jets – Titans – Raiders – Cardinals – Dolphins
“The Jets are slated to have a franchise-high 15 kickoffs at 1 p.m. Eastern, including all eight home games at MetLife Stadium. The Jets’ dates with the Chargers in SoCal on Nov. 22 and the Cardinals in the desert on Dec. 20 both will have 4:05 start times in New York,” Jets senior reporter Eric Allen wrote in a press release.
I’d have to imagine head coach Aaron Glenn is going to love this fun fact. Coaches love routine. There is no extra sauce, no international travel, no prime-time games; this is an all-football operation. No additional distractions.
Not every team is going to be happy with its schedule. Jets fans seem particularly bothered by how the 2026 slate shook out.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic pointed out that the Jets don’t have their bye week until Week 13, which he categorized as “not ideal.”
“After 12 consecutive games, the Jets will get their bye the first week of December. The Week 13 bye is the latest for the Jets since the current bye week concept began in 1990,” Jets senior reporter Eric Allen wrote.
In the first month of the season, the Jets are on the road for three of those first four games.
“The Jets return to MetLife Stadium in Week 2 and will open their home slate vs. the Green Bay Packers. They then stay inside the NFC North with visits to the Detroit Lions in Week 3 and the Chicago Bears in Week 4. The last time the Jets played any NFC North teams three consecutive games was in 2014,” Allen added.
Some other Jets schedule notes:
– No bye week until Week 13. Not ideal.– All but two Jets games are at 1 PM. The other two are only at 4 PM because they are in Los Angeles and Arizona.– Three road games (TEN, DET, CHI) in first four weeks, other game is against GB– Three road… https://t.co/LuyQmbKglk
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) May 14, 2026
“The @NFL screwed the @nyjets again! 3 /4 first games on road, no bye until week 13, 3 NFL North opponents in first 4 weeks? Why do they always want the NYJETS to start out poorly? AG better gear up and surprise us in the beginning or it’s another lost season,” a fan tweeted at Rosenblatt on X.
The @NFL screwed the @nyjets again! 3 /4 first games on road, no bye until week 13, 3 NFL North opponents in first 4 weeks? Why do they always want the NYJETS to start out poorly? AG better gear up and surprise us in the beginning or it's another lost season. https://t.co/TS5R9mWGa1
— JAMBEE (@slamcandie) May 15, 2026
We have known which opponents the Jets have had to play for months. We just didn’t know the order. It’s up to the Jets to prove that they belong. If they do, prime-time games and attention will return. If they don’t, they will be stuck on the island of irrelevancy.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, "The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital." Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
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