The NFL trade deadline was on Tuesday evening, and there was no bigger story than the New York Jets .

At 1-7, the Jets were anticipated to be sellers, moving off some popular names like running back Breece Hall -- a free agent at the end of this season -- and linebackers Quincy Williams and Jermaine Johnson just to name a few.

Instead, the Jets front office went a different route.

General manager Darren Mougey and the front office traded both franchise pillars and fan favorites in cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams , clearly shifting the identity of this team to 2026 and beyond.

Now stockpiled with draft picks for the 2026 and 2027 NFL Draft, the Jets will move forward shorthanded on talent defensively without Williams in the trenches and Gardner p

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