Any hope Jets fans had for head coach Aaron Glenn and the team this year hit a low point last Sunday, as Gang Green fell to the winless Dolphins, 28-25, at MetLife Stadium.

The defeat dropped New York to 2-5, and Glenn’s AFC East losing streak continues. With the loss, Glenn became the ninth coach since the 1970 NFL merger to start his career 0-8 against his own division. 

Despite the humiliating loss and public outcry from fans over the past few weeks, Glenn is unlikely to be fired mid-season and should have the rest of the year to turn things around. However, he’ll have to do so without defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat, who went down in the team’s loss to Miami. 

The injury occurred in the second quarter when safety Dane Belton attempted to tackle Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis and accidentally hit Sweat’s knee. Although the 25-year-old walked off the field, New York ruled him out for the rest of the game with a knee injury. 

Before listing Sweat as week-to-week on Wednesday (h/t ESPN's Rich Cimini), New York bolstered the defensive line depth on Tuesday by adding Amari McNeill to the practice squad. The undrafted free agent from Colorado spent the summer with the Kansas City Chiefs before being waived during final cuts.

With David Onyemata still on injured reserve, McNeil’s arrival suggests that the Jets could be without Sweat for multiple weeks. 

DT T'Vondre Sweat (knee) and ED Joseph Ossai (ankle) are in the week-to-week category, per Glenn. #Jets

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) October 28, 2026

Amari McNeil’s signing could signal troubling T’Vondre Sweat injury outlook 

With New York struggling against the run last season, ranking 29th in rushing yards allowed per game (139.5), and transitioning to a new defensive scheme, the team traded edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II to the Titans for Sweat in March. 

Since entering the league in 2024, the former Texas Longhorn has quickly emerged as one of the best interior linemen against the run. Sweat has earned a 75 and a 79.2 run-defense grade in his first two seasons, per Pro Football Focus, ranking among the top 10 interior defensive linemen in the category each year. 

Sweat hasn’t replicated similar success with the Jets; however, his 67.8 run-defense grade still ranks highest among the team’s interior defensive linemen, per PFF. Although New York’s run defense hasn’t improved with Sweat’s addition, ranking 24th in rushing yards allowed per game (127.7), the unit will suffer in his absence. 

With his massive 6-foot-4, 366-pound frame, Sweat commands double teams and clogs the running lanes. Without him, the Jets lack a similar physical presence up front. 

Additionally, this isn't the first time Sweat has missed extended time. He missed five games last year with an ankle injury and missed the first three weeks of this year’s training camp with a hamstring injury he suffered in mid-June. 

Although we shouldn’t expect Sweat to be sidelined as long as he was last season, the Jets’ decision to bring in McNeill suggests they’re preparing without their starting nose tackle for some time. 

Jets’ Amari McNeill signing is strictly for insurance 

McNeill went undrafted after spending five years between Tennessee and Colorado. With the Buffaloes, he earned a rotational role on the defensive line, posting 77 total tackles, seven sacks, 39 pressures, and three forced fumbles in 32 games. 

His best season came in 2025, when he recorded 21 total tackles, half a sack, and 11 pressures in nine games, earning an 81.5 overall grade, per PFF. McNeill’s experience and solid production at Colorado earned him an opportunity to prove himself in Kansas City. 

Playing 76 defensive snaps across the team’s three preseason games, McNeill recorded one tackle and four pressures. Although he showed some promise, his lack of NFL experience makes it unlikely that we will see McNeill suit up in green and white anytime soon. 

New York has relied on a four-man interior rotation, with Sweat sidelined, and will likely split his snaps among Jowon Briggs, Darrell Jackson Jr., Jack Heflin, and Harrison Phillips.

While McNeill gives the Jets additional depth, his signing doesn’t mean we’ll see him on the field. With Heflin’s elevation, New York has other options to help fill the void left by Sweat, including Jackson Jr. and Heflin, who will likely see more snaps in the rotation. 

Still, the timing of McNeill’s signing raises concerns about how long the Jets expect to be without Sweat. With New York already struggling to stop the run and Glenn needing wins to save his job, losing one of their key contributors is significant. 

In the meantime, Gang Green will need the rest of the unit to pick up the slack and step up quickly before the run defense becomes a bigger problem than it already is.