FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- A look at what's happening around the New York Jets:
1.'Gold' star résumé: Three days before he died, Nick Mangold learned he was one of 52 modern-era semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Whether he makes it or not, his legacy as a player and a person is secure. He's one of the most beloved Jets of his generation.
And, yes, he certainly belongs in the Hall of Fame conversation.
"A lot of people come up and tell me, 'You're the best center to ever play' ... and it's hard for me to receive that because I know in my heart that Nick Mangold at his best was 10 times the player I ever was," Jason Kelce said this week on his "New Heights" podcast. "I could never be that dominant at the center position. Nick was phenomenal."
That's quite a compliment, coming from the most decorated center of the last quarter century. Kelce was a six-time first-team All-Pro with the Philadelphia Eagles.
"Nick Mangold at his best was ten times the player than I ever was"
— New Heights (@newheightshow) October 29, 2025
Rest in peace to a legend of the game 💚 pic.twitter.com/j2NZE0y4fX
"The thing that really impressed me was, considering I came into the league as a center myself, [Mangold] was the best center I ever played with," former Jets teammate Damien Woody said on ESPN's "Flight Deck" podcast.
Let's take a closer look at Mangold's Hall of Fame candidacy:
There are only 11 centers in the Hall of Fame, so it's not an easy trip to Canton. The last one inducted was former Jet Kevin Mawae (Class of 2019). A side note: The Jets went from Mawae to Mangold, giving them 19 years of continuously elite play at the position.
Mangold has competition at his own position, as former centers Olin Kreutz (Chicago Bears) and Maurkice Pouncey (Pittsburgh Steelers) are among the semifinalists. Pouncey and Mangold were twice named first-team All-Pro, Kreutz once. Pouncey has nine Pro Bowls, compared to Mangold's seven and Kreutz's six. Kreutz and Pouncey were named to the all-decade team for the 2000s and 2010s, respectively. Mangold didn't receive all-decade recognition. The competition will stiffen in 2029, when Kelce is eligible for the first time.
From 2006 (Mangold's first year) to present, he is one of only four centers to make first-team All-Pro at least twice. The others are Kelce, Pouncey and Ryan Kalil (Carolina Panthers). They enjoyed more team success than Mangold; they each played in at least one Super Bowl. Kreutz, too, played in a Super Bowl.
Mangold has an edge over Pouncey and Kreutz in that he was a cog in an outstanding unit: The Jets ranked No. 3 in rushing yards during his career, from 2006 to 2016. As Kelce said, "He would murder people in the run game."
"I probably could count on one hand the number of times the defense fooled him," said Woody, noting Mangold's ability to call blocking schemes and pass protections. "This dude was the quarterback of the offensive line. Honestly, he was the brains of the whole operation."
2. Trade talk: In his short time as general manager, Darren Mougey has made some low-key trades that have produced positive results.
Defensive tackle Harrison Phillips has helped the run defense, defensive tackle Jowon Briggs has flashed some pass rush as a situational player, and nickel back Jarvis Brownlee Jr. has made an early impact in the slot.
Brownlee's emergence -- he was acquired Sept. 23 from the Tennessee Titans -- was a big factor in the decision to trade Michael Carter II, a solid player from 2021 to 2023 who hasn't lived up to the three-year, $31 million extension he signed 14 months ago, earlier this week.
Carter's trade to the Eagles saves $20.5 million in cash and clears $16 million in cap space for 2026 and 2027, per Spotrac. The trade will be a home run if Brownlee, who had his share of rocky moments in Tennessee (partly due to a high penalty rate), continues to flourish in New York.
3. Clock is ticking: The trade deadline is 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. From various sources, here's the latest:
Barring an offer they can't refuse, the Jets won't trade running back Breece Hall. You can put defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and defensive end Will McDonald IV in this category, too.
Edge rusher Jermaine Johnson and linebacker Quincy Williams are generating interest. Johnson said he was told by the front office that he won't be traded; that hasn't stopped teams from calling.
Williams is the one to watch because he's in the final year of his contract. The San Francisco 49ers, who have former Jets coach Robert Saleh as the defensive coordinator, have a need at linebacker.
Don't dismiss the possibility of the Jets trading for a player. Safety and offensive line are two position groups to watch.
4. Early returns: It's way too early to draw conclusions about the 2025 draft class, but chew on this factoid: The Jets' draft picks have played a league-high 2,309 snaps -- led by offensive tackle Armand Membou (521), tight end Mason Taylor (415) and safety Malachi Moore (410).
Playing time isn't always an accurate gauge for overall quality -- losing teams have more openings than winning teams -- but at least the rookies are getting on-the-job training.
5. Speed isn't everything: Arian Smith is an example of a rookie who, because of the team's deficiencies at wide receiver, is playing more than he should be. This is illustrated by his stat line -- 166 routes and 47 receiving yards for a league-low 0.28 yards-per-route, which would be the lowest in the league since 2019.
6. Comeback kid: Isaiah Williams thought he was a goner. Actually, he was, albeit briefly. He was cut after fumbling on a kickoff return and making an ill-advised fair catch in a Week 4 loss to the Miami Dolphins, but he returned to the practice squad and made his way back to the 53-man roster.
"To be an undrafted guy, and you have a game like that, you would think it's over," Williams admitted.
Now look: He made some clutch returns last week against the Cincinnati Bengals, earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
"A pretty good redemption story," coach Aaron Glenn said.
7. Continuity -- finally! For years, the Jets were undermined by offensive line instability, as the unit was ravaged by an inordinate number of injuries. This season, they've been rolling with the same five who started on opening day. The starters have missed a combined total of 15 snaps. We're talking snaps, not games.
We'd be remiss if we didn't mention Alijah Vera-Tucker, who suffered a season-ending triceps injury during the run-up to Week 1. That was a big blow. Since then, no injuries. (You can almost hear Glenn knocking on wood.)
8. Passing perfection: With his touchdown pass last week, Hall is one of five running backs in Jets history with a 100% career completion mark. The others, Curtis Martin, Freeman McNeil, Blair Thomas and Leon Washington. Nine are at 0%.
9. A look ahead: The Jets' remaining strength of schedule is ranked 27th, per ESPN's Football Power Index. Could that lead to a few more wins, perhaps?
10. The last word: "I just remember that his personality was one that was so infectious. The players loved him, and he was great with all of the quarterbacks, whether it was Brett Favre or Mark Sanchez as a rookie. It was fun for me to watch him be a dad, so [it's] obviously very sad. My heart goes out to his family and really the whole Jets community. He was an incredible football player and a better man." -- Former Jets offensive coordinator and current Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer on Mangold.