The New York Jets have not given their fans many things to be proud of over the last 14 years. Questionable coaching decisions, bad offseason moves, and a nearly decade-long run of under-.500 football are just the start of this miserable era in Jets history.

There is one thing that the Jets do well for their fans, though, however small it may seem at this point.

Few teams in the NFL this year are holding as many open practices in training camp as the Jets. The final tally after Wednesday’s announcement is eight open practices for fans to come and see.

No matter how you slice it, that is excellent news for both the fans and the organization.

Jets Open Practice Announcement

Almost every NFL team holds open practices during camp. It’s a chance for the team to bring fans together and remind them that football season is right around the corner.

The Jets do not have the most open practices available to the public this offseason. That total is less than the Green Bay Packers (14) or their crosstown rival, the New York Giants, who will hold 11 practices open to fans.

However, Gang Green’s eight practices are the ninth most in the NFL. It’s a respectable number for an organization that is starting a new regime and needs all the good karma it can get in Year 1.

Former Jets Pro Bowl cornerback turned team head coach Aaron Glenn knows how volatile playing in New York can be. If results aren’t where fans want them to be, Jets fans have no problem making their voices heard.

Holding open practices is a great way to keep fans interested, though. They can see their favorite players, get their idea of how the team looks, and even observe what this new era of Jets’ football is supposed to look like.

This is how you get a dejected fanbase like the Jets back on the team’s side.

Winning games will undoubtedly help that as well.

New York isn’t just kicking off a new era in terms of its coaching staff. It has a new quarterback in Justin Fields and a plethora of talent it acquired during the offseason.

Open practices allow fans to become enamored with their new signal-caller in a setting far more relaxed than an NFL regular season game.

All 32 teams in the NFL this year are holding open practices. Some are choosing to have fans come to just a single day of work, opting to keep a separation between their loyal fans and players.

The Jets are right to hold as many practices as they are. It’s a sign that the team is aware of how bad they have been in recent years, and their commitment to building a winner in the eyes of every fan in attendance.

It may not work out. It’s always hard to tell at this point in an offseason.

But the Jets understand how vital the fanbase is to them with this announcement.

Now, if only the team could return to its Hofstra roots and hold a practice on Long Island in the future…