Grok simulates the New York Jets’ 2026 season, game results, statistical leaders, and a Disney-like run back to the playoffs
The Jet’s make a magical run back to the playoffs for the first time since 2010 in our A.I. simulation of the 2026 season.
The New York Jets are on the verge of training camp, so we decided to have a little fun before the 2026 NFL season kicks off and asked AI to simulate the Jets’ entire 17-game schedule. The results? New York finishes 9-8 and sneaks into the playoffs as the 7th seed, ending a drought that dates back to 2010.
Now, the simulation didn’t give us much beyond that. No conference standings, no other AFC playoff teams, nothing about the broader landscape. You get some information, but not always enough. That’s what you get for using AI. But it did give us a full week-by-week breakdown and some storylines worth digging into.
The schedule breakdown
The Jets open with a road win in Tennessee, then drop a home game to the Green Bay Packers. Week 3 is the big one early on. Glenn goes to Detroit and faces Dan Campbell for the first time. The simulation has New York losing that game. But in Week 4, Glenn gets the win over Chicago, beating his former counterpart in Detroit, Bears coach Ben Johnson.
New York beats the Cleveland Browns in Week 5 but loses to the New England Patriots in Week 6. The Jets bounce back with a divisional win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 7 and a win over the Raiders in Week 8. Then things get rough. Losses to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Buffalo Bills, and the Los Angeles Chargers drop them to 5-6.
From there, the Jets rally. They beat the Dolphins a second time in Week 12 to get back to .500 heading into the bye. Week 14 is where it gets wild. The simulation has Glenn beating another former boss, Sean Payton, when New York takes down the Denver Broncos. I gotta tell you, I don’t see that one happening for the Jets. I don’t know what AI is thinking on that one.
Then it gets even weirder. Week 15, they lose to the Arizona Cardinals, arguably the worst team in the NFL, a team that might have a very small shot at going 0-17. After that, a home win over New England in Week 16, a win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17, and a loss to the Bills in Buffalo to close out the season at 9-8 and into the playoffs.
The Glenn effect
The simulation’s top storyline is that Glenn changes the Jets’ identity overnight. New York isn’t flashy anymore. They never were. They’re physical. They’re disciplined. Penalties disappear. Players talk constantly about accountability. The national media spends November asking if the Jets finally hired the right coach.
I don’t think that’s crazy at all. From someone who covers Dan Campbell and the Lions and is helping out on the Jets beat, I see so many similarities between Glenn and Campbell. I see a lot of parallels between this Jets team and the 2022 Lions. After Campbell’s first season, everybody was talking about how he was going to get fired, making fun of the kneecap thing, saying it was ridiculous he got hired. Then 2022 happens, and Detroit goes on a magical run to finish 9-8 themselves.
I really think it’s going to be a similar situation. I think Glenn is going to turn the Jets around. As crazy as everyone calls me, I think Glenn was always the better coaching choice than Ben Johnson. We’re going to find out.
The stat lines and award picks
The simulation also gave us some individual projections worth noting. It has quarterback Geno Smith throwing for 4,083 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. If you’re getting the Seattle Seahawks version of Geno Smith, I tend to agree with those numbers. If you’re getting the Las Vegas Raiders version, it’s going to be a different story. But it’s going to be better than what Justin Fields gave them last season. He just wasn’t it.
Running back Breece Hall gets 1,276 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Wide receiver Garrett Wilson goes for 101 catches, 1,392 yards, and 11 touchdowns with second-team All-Pro honors. Adonai Mitchell adds 944 yards and 7 touchdowns. Rookie Kenyon Sadiq gets 31 catches for 348 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Jets would probably want something better than that from their rookie.
On defense, David Bailey takes home Defensive Rookie of the Year with 11.5 sacks. Kingsley Enagbare adds 7.5 sacks, and Minkah Fitzpatrick logs 5 interceptions and 10 pass breakups. The Pro Bowlers: Wilson, Hall, Jamien Sherwood, Fitzpatrick, and Olu Fashanu.
The simulation has the Jets losing in the first round to an unnamed team, because of course AI wouldn’t tell us who. But if I were a Jets fan, I wouldn’t feel bad about that season. I’d feel reignited. Just seeing New York back in the playoffs would be enough to prove that something real is building under Glenn.
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