When Harrison Phillips landed with Buffalo in 2018, having been selected in the third round (No. 96 overall) in the NFL Draft, the Bills were in the midst of a long drought in the AFC East. They had last won the division title in 1995 and Phillips was part of the team that won the division in 2020 and then advanced to the AFC title game, losing to Kansas City.
After the conclusion of the Jets' 2025 season on Sunday back in Highmark Stadium where it all began for Phillips, the defensive lineman who was acquired by GM Darren Mougey from Minnesota in late August, said he senses some of the same glimmers of hope bubbling up from the Green & White's just-concluded 3-14 season.
"We won the AFC East for the first time in 26 years, and it was a slow process," Phillips said of his third season in Buffalo. "And I do see a lot of the character, and I see a lot of the effort, and I see a lot of the same coaching points that they were instilling in us at that point when I was at Buffalo, that AG is bringing to this roster, into this organization. And so, like I said, we just have to improve."
While the offseason ahead is likely to bring a lot of changes, Phillips seems certain to be back at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center after playing in 16 games and winning the team's Dennis Byrd Most Inspirational Award. But as an 8-year veteran he knows many of the faces will change after a difficult season.
"Extremely, extremely tough," he said. "There's a lot of disappointing things when you look at the results, but I'm an optimist and I'm a growth mindset guy, so I just try to find the things that we've done well and the things that we know that we can improve on. I still have belief in this team. We started 0 and 7 but we still had everyone come into the building on Monday, ready to work and ready to to win, and so we just have to build a winning culture. I don't believe that we're losers. I believe that we have winners and the results will come."
Beck Reflects and Looks Ahead
Andrew Beck came to the Jets this season, his seventh in the NFL, largely as a bit player. He played an important role on the Jets' elite special teams group while also catching a pair of TD passes -- the second one coming from QB Brady Cook in Sunday's season finale at Buffalo.
"You can look at the record, you can look at a bunch of things, and say that the season wasn't what we wanted it to be, or it didn't live up the expectations that we had initially and that will be true, obviously," he said.
He added: "There are still things from the season that we can take to build up on the springboard into this next season. And that's what guys were talking about already in the locker room, which is what you want to hear."
Looking ahead, he pinpointed a key building block for the Green & White -- the offensive line. That's a group of five starters -- LT Olu Fashanu, LG John Simpson, C Josh Myers, RG Joe Tippmann and rookie RT Armand Membou -- that trotted out there for 17 straight games.
"The guys up front, man, I mean, the consistency that that group's had ... you want to talk about a building block for the future," said Beck, who could soon be a free agent. "That O-line is going to be special, and it's a group that we can build around. And I think that that needs to be our mentality, build around the big guys up front and run the ball next year."
Jermaine Johnson: 'Everyone's Hands Are Dirty'
Coming back from a season-ending ACL injury he sustained early in the 2024 season, edge Jermaine Johnson said an early meeting with HC Aaron Glenn put him in the right frame of mind ahead of a difficult season.
"I just believe in AG," Johnson said. "I remember he called me into his office, and he said, 'You got me?' I said, I got you. He said, 'And I got you.' So it's as simple as that. I think especially in the NFL, you can lose train of what's important, which is relationships, which is true, and I think all aspects of life. So that's kind of where my head is. And, that's what I said. I gave him my word, and he gave me his word, as simple as that. So I'm going to keep working."
Johnson played in 14 games as he worked his way back to full fitness, and was fourth on the team with 3 sacks. He acknowledged that's not good enough.
"It's definitely been the worst season I've been a part of as a team," he said. "I got my hands in it. My hands are bloody. Everybody's hands are bloody in this, so for me to say that's on him [Glenn], I don't fully agree. I think everybody's hands are dirty. And I know the character of the men, they're definitely going to remember this feeling, and not let it happen again."
