Jets Insider: Does offensive lineman John Simpson hope to return next season? 'Hell yeah'

Four of the Jets’ five starting offensive linemen are under contract for next season. The fifth wants to be back, too.

Left guard John Simpson, a free agent after the season, hopes these final four games aren’t his last ones as a Jet.

“Hell yeah,” Simpson told Newsday about hoping to re-sign with the Jets. “I want to be a part of something here and help build the culture that [coach Aaron Glenn] is trying to establish.”

Simpson, 28, signed a two-year, $12 million contract in 2024. The old regime brought him in and the new one may want to keep the continuity up front, especially with the changes expected at quarterback.

The Jets are the only NFL team to start the same five offensive linemen this season. It’s the first time they’ve done that since 2012. Simpson has started every game since signing with the Jets.

The Jets locked up center Josh Meyers on Friday, signing him to a two-year, $11 million extension. The Jets’ other three starters are on their rookie deals —  right tackle Armand Membou,  guard Joe Tippmann and left tackle Olu Fashanu.

Simpson, who also has played for the Raiders and Ravens, wants the band back together in 2026.

“These guys are pretty much my brothers,” he said. “I want to be in a situation where I can call somewhere home. It’s kind of what I want, what I’m looking for next.”

Simpson also has personal reasons for wanting to remain with the Jets.

He and his wife, Aliyah, recently purchased a home about 20 miles away from the team’s practice facility. Simpson’s wife is a doctor who is doing her residency at an area hospital. If Simpson signs with another team, his wife and child likely will stay in New Jersey.

“I just try to focus on today, man,” Simpson said. “I try to be in the now because it could be my last four games here. Who knows? I’m just excited for whatever’s to come, and I’m going to finish these last four out with these boys and do my best.”

The Jets have to make a decision on another offensive lineman. Right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, who suffered a season-ending triceps tear during a September practice, will be a free agent, too.

Vera-Tucker probably is the Jets’ best lineman, but he’s had trouble staying healthy. When the Jets play the Jaguars on Sunday, Vera-Tucker will miss his 38th game in the last four seasons.

Time to Cook

 When undrafted rookie Brady Cook leads the offense in Jacksonville,  he will become the Jets’ 15th different starting quarterback in the last 10 years. Only the Browns (19) have started more.

Cook looked nervous during his NFL debut last week. He entered with the Jets trailing Miami 21-0 after not taking any reps with the starters.

“That was a heck of a predicament and situation for him to be put in,” offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand said.

Cook completed 14 of 30 passes for 163 yards and two interceptions, and this week, he took first-team reps. It should help his confidence and comfort level.

“It slowed down a little bit for him in the second half. I was really happy with, ultimately, how he performed,” Engstrand said. “We’ve got to clean up the turnovers, but there’s some things that he did in the pass game, as far as playing on-time and working through his progressions and putting the ball in the right place, that were very encouraging.”

If anything happens to Cook, Adrian Martinez is next man up. Signed on Wednesday to the practice squad, he has never attempted a pass in an NFL regular-season game.

Regressing defensively

There will be changes across the defense after this season — and that could include the staff. The seat under coordinator Steve Wilks has to be getting hot.

The Jets were the third-ranked defense in 2024 and returned eight starters. Three have been traded — Quinnen Williams, Sauce Gardner and Michael Carter II — but the defense wasn’t stingy even with them.

They’re 17th in total defense and have allowed the third-most rushing yards. Miami ran for 239 yards last week, the most the Jets have given up since 2021. Also alarming is their zero interceptions and ineffective pass rush. The Jets have only 22 sacks and 72 pressures. They finished with 43 sacks and 140 pressures last season.

Players have regressed statistically. Will McDonald had 10.5 sacks last year. He has seven this season, but six came in two games. Williams had only one sack in eight games before being traded to Dallas. Jamien Sherwood’s level of play has dipped, too.

Wilks took “responsibility” for the defensive failures but wouldn’t agree that he hasn’t put the players in the best position to succeed.

“I don’t want to say that,” he said. “I think there’s things that we can improve on each and every week, and those are the things that I’m concentrating on.”

What could have been

The Jets and Jaguars were neck-and-neck in the race to draft Trevor Lawrence in 2021. One-win Jacksonville won by losing one more game. Lawrence went to the Jaguars and the Jets took Zach Wilson.

Lawrence has had his struggles, but Jacksonville has had a winning record three times, including this season. Under first-year coach Liam Coen, the Jaguars (9-4) are in first place in the AFC South. They’re closing in on their first 10-win season since 2017 and second playoff berth with Lawrence.

Nearing milestones

• Breece Hall  needs 123 rushing yards to become the first Jet with 1,000 since Chris Ivory in 2015. It could be tough for Hall to get it against the Jaguars. They’re allowing a league-low 82.9 rushing yards per game. No back has hit 75 yards against them.

• Nick Folk  needs two field goals for 200 as a Jet. Only Pat Leahy (304) has more. Folk, who has 426 total field goals, needs 10 more to break into the top 10 in NFL history.

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.