The Jets were on the field on Wednesday as training camp officially started. The Green & White practiced in the morning with the old weight room in the backdrop as clouds cloaked the sky above the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center.
"Coming back to training camp is always exciting," head coach Aaron Glenn said after practice. "Coaches are excited, players are excited, the organization is excited and what we want to do, we just want to build off the momentum that we actually had in OTAs going into training camp.
"So, no slogans, no hype speeches. (We) wanted to set the tone with the players yesterday and, man, we're ready to improve and that's what we're trying to do."
It was a heavy day for the running backs for this first practice. The Jets focused on first- and second-down scenarios during their two team periods. The receivers and tight ends saw more limited targets with most of them coming in the lone 7-on-7 period.
Breece Hall, Isaiah Davis and Braelon Allen took a majority of the rushes, and some screen passes throughout the morning.
QB Geno Smith was 2 of 3 in the first team period with short completions to Davis and TE Mason Taylor. In 7-on-7 he went 4 of 5 while connecting with Garrett Wilson, rookie Omar Cooper Jr., Isaiah Williams and Arian Smith. His only incompletion during 7-on-7 was intended for Adonai Mitchell but Brandon Stephens defended the pass well.
Rookies Cade Klubnik and Kenyon Sadiq were full-go at practice after missing workouts during minicamp and OTAs. Klubnik was 3 of -4 in 7-on-7, including a completion to Sadiq. Klubik nearly connected with Arian Smith deep, but the ball was just a touch too long for the wideout to haul in between two defenders.
See Garrett Wilson & the Jets players on the field for the first time during the 2026 training camp held at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center.
"To match [Sadiq] up with the other tight ends that we have, I think that room, it's really improving, I really do," Glenn said. "It's good to have him out there. We're going to take it slow with him to make sure he can catch up on everything he needs to catch up with."
The defense had a few bright moments throughout the morning as well. During the second team period, S Minkah Fitzpatrick nearly intercepted Smith's short pass intended for Wilson after a little miscommunication.
"I thought Garrett was actually going to play the ball, but he saw it late," Fitzpatrick said about the play. "So I was going to play through his hands, and the ball came behind him. I tried to get a hand and make a pretty one-handed catch, but it fell through."
Veteran LB Mykal Walker, however, did successfully haul in an interception. Klubnik targeted Sadiq in traffic in the second team period, and the ball popped up into the air before the Walker came up with the takeaway.
Building Competitive Stamina
It was only the first practice, but WR Garrett Wilson thought the energy was "really good." Aaron Glenn's goal is to keep the competitive level high even as players might start getting tired.
"That's when, I call them head coach call-it periods, to where I'm going to throw some out there for myself and I'm going to throw some out there for Frank [Reich] so the guys can compete," Glenn said.
The Jets had two of those call-it periods during those team drills.
"That's how you build competitive stamina," Glenn said. "The guys continue to compete time after time. At the end of the day man, how are we operating? And I want our players to operate that way and that's how we want to build competitive stamina."
Jetcetera
HC Aaron Glenn D-linemen said edge Joseph Ossai (hamstring) and DT T'Vondre Sweat (hamstring), who began camp on the PUP list and NFI list, respectively, both will be "fine." … Rookie DB D'Angelo Ponds didn't practice and is dealing with a strained calf, but Glenn said not to "think too much into that." … LB Mazi Smith is also dealing with a hamstring injury. … QB Geno Smith targeted rookie WR Omar Cooper Jr. on the final play of the first team period but good coverage from Jarvis Brownlee Jr. forced the incompletion. … Smith was 3-of-6 overall between both team periods, rookie QB Cade Klubnik was 2 of 4 … QBs Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook each had limited reps. … Glenn said, "it felt really good" to be back calling plays on defense: "I've missed doing that."
