The Jets 53-man roster is set for now, and it looks a little different than the projection we published on August 23. NFL.com’s roster page, captured September 1, is the current, authoritative record of each player’s listed status, including the 53 active players, 16 practice-squad players, and seven reserve players. Below is the full 53 broken out by position, the seven differences between our projection and the actual roster, and what the moves at quarterback, kicker, and up front say about how this team is being built.
The Jets’ Current 53-Man Roster by Position
NFL.com’s official roster page, current as of September 1, controls both the active status and the exact name spelling below. Here is the full 53, by position group.
- Quarterback (2): Geno Smith, Cade Klubnik
- Running back (4): Breece Hall, Braelon Allen, Isaiah Davis, Kene Nwangwu
- Fullback (1): Andrew Beck
- Wide receiver (6): Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell, Omar Cooper Jr., Tim Patrick, Arian Smith, Isaiah Williams
- Tight end (4): Mason Taylor, Jeremy Ruckert, Kenyon Sadiq, Jelani Woods
- Offensive tackle (4): Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Armand Membou, Max Mitchell, Chukwuma Okorafor
- Guard (2): Dylan Parham, Jordan Meredith
- Center (2): Josh Myers, Joe Tippmann
- Defensive line (8): Will McDonald IV, Joseph Ossai, Braiden McGregor, Jowon Briggs, Harrison Phillips, David Onyemata, Darrell Jackson Jr., T’Vondre Sweat
- Linebacker (7): Demario Davis, Jamien Sherwood, Francisco Mauigoa, Kingsley Enagbare, Marcelino McCrary-Ball, Trevin Wallace, David Bailey
- Cornerback (6): Azareye’h Thomas, Brandon Stephens, D’Angelo Ponds, Nahshon Wright, Jarvis Brownlee Jr., Qwan’tez Stiggers
- Safety (4): Minkah Fitzpatrick, Andre Cisco, Malachi Moore, Dane Belton
- Specialists (3): Blake Grupe, Austin McNamara, Thomas Hennessy
That group includes several names from a busy final week of camp. Our full training camp rookie grades cover the Jets’ eight 2026 draft picks before the roster came down to 53. Garrett Wilson remains the headline receiver in the group, and we broke down his outside-receiver usage plan in more detail before the opener.
Seven Changes From JetCast’s Projection
Line up our August 23 projection against NFL.com’s September 1 active list and seven names move in each direction. Both lists still total 53 players. These are differences between what we projected and how the front office actually built the roster, not a scorecard of seven mistakes.
Seven players from our August 23 board did not make the September 1 active roster:
- Anez Cooper, placed on reserve/injured designated to return
- Jason Sanders, released in the Grupe waiver transaction and now on the practice squad
- Marquis Hayes, now on the practice squad
- Mazi Smith
- Mykal Walker, placed on reserve/injured
- Nate Lynn, now on the practice squad
- Xavier Hill
New York’s final cuts announcement detailed the 25 players waived, four veterans released, and reserve moves that shaped the initial 52-man roster. The Jordan Meredith trade then filled the open 53rd spot, before two waiver awards and corresponding departures changed the roster’s composition.
Seven players are active on September 1 who were not on our August 23 board:
- Blake Grupe, kicker, awarded off waivers
- Darrell Jackson Jr., defensive line
- Jarvis Brownlee Jr., cornerback
- Jordan Meredith, offensive line, acquired in a trade with Las Vegas
- Kenyon Sadiq, tight end
- Marcelino McCrary-Ball, linebacker
- Trevin Wallace, linebacker, awarded off waivers
The Meredith move is the one with draft-pick compensation attached. The Jets sent a 2027 sixth-round pick to Las Vegas for Meredith and a 2029 seventh-round pick, according to the trade announcement. Meredith started 11 games at center for the Raiders last season and has experience at both guard spots, which makes him offensive-line depth with real starting snaps on his resume rather than a name we projected would be starting in New York.
Cade Klubnik Is the Backup Quarterback
Aaron Glenn confirmed Cade Klubnik as the backup quarterback behind Geno Smith, closing a competition that played out over the full preseason. The Jets’ official announcement carries Glenn’s comments on how Klubnik grew into the job.
Klubnik appeared in all three preseason games and started two of them, against Tampa Bay and against the Giants. Our recap of that Giants game has more on how he closed the preseason out. Across all three games he completed 21 of 34 passes for 190 yards with one interception. In his two starts, he led three scoring drives worth 17 points. That is a real, verified body of work, but it is one line among several that went into the decision, not the entire case for QB2 on its own. Glenn also pointed to Klubnik’s work in practice and games throughout camp, which our earlier look at the Jets’ backup quarterback battle covered before Glenn made the call official. His other preseason appearance came against the Steelers, and our preview of that game laid out what JetCast wanted to see before kickoff.
Blake Grupe Replaced Jason Sanders
The Jets released kicker Jason Sanders the same week they were awarded Blake Grupe off waivers, and Grupe is now the active kicker on the 53. The team’s waiver claims announcement records both awards and the corresponding release of Sanders and waiver of Kohl Levao.
Sanders landed on the 16-player practice squad after his release. As of September 1, Grupe holds the active roster spot while Sanders remains an in-house option.
What the Waiver Claims Changed
The same waiver wire that brought in Grupe also added linebacker Trevin Wallace, one of the seven names now active that we did not have projected on August 23. The Jets’ waiver claims announcement covers both awards along with the corresponding moves, including the release of Sanders and the waiving of offensive lineman Kohl Levao to open the roster spots.
Wallace joins a linebacker room that already includes Demario Davis, Jamien Sherwood, Francisco Mauigoa, Kingsley Enagbare, David Bailey, and fellow newcomer Marcelino McCrary-Ball. The Jets used one of their two waiver awards on Wallace, while Wallace and Marcelino McCrary-Ball were the two linebacker differences from our August 23 projection.
The Jets Added 16 Players to the Practice Squad
New York’s practice-squad announcement named the club’s initial 16-player group, separate from the 53 active players above.
- Mory Bamba
- Cam Camper
- Jordan Clark
- Paschal Ekeji
- Marquis Hayes
- Jack Heflin
- Al-Jay Henderson
- Jaden Keller
- Nate Lynn
- Malik McClain
- Xavier Newman-Johnson
- Payton Page
- Jamaal Pritchett
- Troy Reeder
- Jason Sanders
- Samuel Womack
The Jets also noted that the practice squad could grow to 17 because Paschal Ekeji qualifies through the international pathway exemption. That is an allowance the team has available, not a confirmation that a 17th player has already signed. Marquis Hayes and Nate Lynn, both off our original 53-man board, and Jason Sanders, cut loose from the active roster in the Grupe move, are the clearest links between the projection and where players actually landed.
What the Final Roster Says About the Jets’ Priorities
Put the pieces together and a few themes stand out. The defensive line carries eight players, the largest position group on the roster. The offensive line received a late veteran addition when the Jets traded a 2027 sixth-round pick for Jordan Meredith and a 2029 seventh-round pick. Meredith brings 11 starts at center for Las Vegas last season and experience at both guard spots. That gives New York proven interior experience, while the team’s own announcement describes Meredith as depth rather than naming him a Jets starter.
At kicker, New York changed the active roster after cutdown, replacing Sanders with Grupe before bringing Sanders back on the practice squad. As of September 1, Grupe holds the active spot and Sanders remains in the organization. At quarterback, Glenn named Klubnik the backup after weighing his work in practice and games across the full camp. The practice squad also retained several familiar cutdown names, including Hayes, Lynn, and Sanders, while Ekeji’s international-pathway eligibility left room for a possible 17th player. That sequence is the clearest roster-building takeaway available from these sources: New York used a veteran trade, two waiver awards, and a 16-player practice squad instead of leaving the initial 52 untouched through the end of Monday. The broader point is modest: the roster remained fluid after the initial 52 was announced, with a trade, waiver awards, corresponding departures, and practice-squad formation still changing the picture before the opener.