The New York Jets announced last week who their captains will be for the 2026 season, giving the nod to linebacker Demario Davis, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, wide receiver/kick returner Isaiah Williams, right guard Joe Tippmann, and quarterback Geno Smith. Surprisingly, half of those players are new to the team, and this will be their first season under head coach Aaron Glenn. Meanwhile, one of the Jets' mainstays and arguably the best player on the roster wasn't named a captain: star wide receiver Garrett Wilson.
What makes the decision most surprising isn't just that Wilson has been with the organization for years, but that he was a captain last season. Why he didn't get the honor again remains a mystery. On Tuesday, Wilson addressed whether he was upset about the decision.
"I don't know if upset is the word," Wilson said. "It's more like, man, we've got a collection of guys that all warrant that label. It's one of those things where it's Geno and Tipp — yeah, it goes without saying for the guys who are in here, the value they bring to this team and what they mean to this team as far as getting us ready to play and getting us ready to practice on a day-to-day basis.
I'm happy to have those guys leading the charge. I'm always going to be there to play my role to the best of my ability, whatever that is. I would say that." More news: Puka Nacua Gets Major Suspension Update Ahead of Rams Season Opener Wilson has never let the franchise's questionable decisions rattle him, staying the consummate professional through it all.
That held true even last season, when the team traded away Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams — two other mainstays brought in alongside Wilson to turn this franchise around — and he still didn't waver. But as a former first-round pick and Pro Bowl-caliber talent, you have to wonder how much more he can stand to endure. In his four years with the Jets, the team has never had a winning season, let alone made the playoffs.
More news: Browns Fans Fuming Over Todd Monken’s Latest Deshaun Watson Announcement More news: Latest Chiefs Injury News is the Last Thing Patrick Mahomes Wants to Hear Wilson signed a four-year, $130 million extension with the team in July 2025, keeping him in New York through the 2030 season. By then, he'll be 30, and the Jets are clearly in rebuild mode once again. Snubbing your best player for the captain role is a subtle way to send the wrong message — and it's the last thing the team should be doing right now.
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