New York Jets fans haven’t seen a playoff game for 15 years and counting.

Still, each January, they can take an iota of solace from those mildly satisfying moments when the Jets are mentioned on a playoff broadcast.

Whenever Al Michaels or Jim Nantz says, “Nice tackle there by the former Jet,” the Gang Green faithful get a nice little reminder that their football franchise does, indeed, play in the same league as the formidable squads on their televisions, embroiled in a thrilling matchup for a shot at the Super Bowl. It serves as a jolt of inspiration, convincing fans that perhaps one day, even the Jets will revel in the euphoria of playoff glory.

Without further ado, here are the top 10 former Jets players who will grace your screens in a non-green uniform this weekend (well, a few of them play on a team with lime green as an accent color, but you get the idea).

10. K Jason Myers, Seahawks

Jason Myers came to the Jets in 2018 with his career on the ropes. The former UDFA was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars midway through his third season after a brutal start to the year. Three seasons into his career, Myers had made just 81% of his field goal attempts and 86% of his extra points.

In 2018, Myers beat out Taylor Bertolet for the Jets’ kicking job, and the Marist product turned in a Pro Bowl season. Myers made 91.7% of his field goals, including six of seven from 50+ yards.

New York allowed Myers to walk to Seattle on a four-year, $15.8 million deal, and Myers has been the Seahawks’ kicker ever since. In 2025, he made 85.4% of his field goal attempts and all 48 of his extra point attempts.

The Jets’ decision not to re-sign Myers resulted in a kicking carousel that has consumed the Jets to this day. Across Myers’ seven years in Seattle (2019-25), the Jets have used 13 different kickers in the regular season.

Nick Folk just turned in arguably the best kicking season in Jets history, missing one kick all season, but his future is uncertain at 41 years old.

9. RB Ty Johnson, Bills

Across three seasons in New York (2020-22), Ty Johnson was an explosive complementary rusher who struggled with drops and pass protection. Yet, in Buffalo, Johnson has transformed into a dangerous pass-down back.

Over the past three seasons with the Bills, Johnson has caught 49 of his 65 targets for 609 yards and six touchdowns. His 9.4 yards-per-target average is incredible for a running back.

Johnson caught a 24-yard touchdown pass in the Bills’ playoff opener against the Broncos last season.

8. EDGE Bryce Huff, 49ers

The Jets’ former pass-rush specialist bombed in Philadelphia (two sacks, four quarterback hits in 12 games) after signing a three-year, $51.1 million deal, although he received a Super Bowl ring despite being inactive in the climactic victory.

The Eagles traded Huff to the 49ers in 2025 for a conditional fifth-round pick that could become a fourth-rounder. Huff got to reunite with Robert Saleh in the 49ers’ wide-nine scheme, and Huff benefited, racking up four sacks, 15 quarterback hits, and 45 total pressures in 15 games.

7. DT Sheldon Rankins, Texans

Rankins played 31 games (18 starts) at defensive tackle for the Jets from 2021 to 2022. He had a rough 2021 season, but enjoyed a strong year in 2022, contributing to the Jets’ elite defense.

Rankins joined the Texans in 2023. He moved on to the Bengals in 2024 before returning to Houston in 2025, where he started all 17 games. Rankins had a strong campaign, collecting 35 tackles, three sacks, nine quarterback hits, and 38 total pressures for one of the best defenses in the NFL.

6. QB Aaron Rodgers, Steelers

While Rodgers doubled his win total after bolting from New York to Pittsburgh, it wasn’t because he played any better than he did with the Jets. Rodgers was one of the league’s least efficient starting quarterbacks in most metrics.

Among 38 qualified quarterbacks, Rodgers ranked 24th in net yards per pass attempt (5.96), 23rd in adjusted EPA per play (0.077), 28th in PFF’s overall grade (68.7), and 29th in QBR (44.1).

The Steelers won 10 games despite their passing game, not because of it. Rodgers’ days as an average starter are behind him.

His lackluster play won’t stop him from taking shots at the Jets, though.

5. RT Morgan Moses, Patriots

Moses is still getting it done at 34 years old. The 12th-year veteran started all 17 games for New England, finishing as PFF’s 14th-ranked right tackle among 38 qualifiers with a 74.0 overall grade.

The Virginia product had two stints with the Jets, starting 16 games in 2021 and another 14 in 2024 after spending two seasons in Baltimore.

4. DT John Franklin-Myers, Broncos

Franklin-Myers was a core component of the Jets’ defense for four seasons (2020-23), especially over their dominant stretch from 2022 to 2023. Yet, Joe Douglas tossed him aside like chewed-up gum (trading him for a 2026 sixth-rounder), and Franklin-Myers has done nothing but make the Jets regret their decision.

Franklin-Myers has played in 33 of the Broncos’ 34 games over Denver’s two-season run as the league’s best defensive team, starting 31 of those. After racking up seven sacks and 18 quarterback hits in 2024, he added a career-high 7.5 sacks to go with 15 quarterback hits in 2025.

A versatile player who can rotate between defensive end and defensive tackle, the Broncos have used Franklin-Myers at 3-technique more often than the Jets did, although he still moves all across the line.

Franklin-Myers is missed in New York, and not just by fans; former teammate Jermaine Johnson wants to see “JFM” back in green.

3. DE Leonard Williams, Seahawks

While Leonard Williams has never quite ascended to megastar status, the Jets’ former sixth overall pick has quietly put together one hell of a career. He has consistently been one of the league’s best defensive tackles for 11 straight seasons, and has yet to show any signs of slowing down.

Williams has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last two seasons since being traded from the Giants to the Seahawks. After an 11-sack, 28-hit rampage in 2024, Williams added another seven sacks and 22 hits in 2025.

Williams also ranked 18th among defensive tackles in run stops (23) and fourth in total pressures (58), helping the Seahawks to 14 wins and the league’s top-ranked scoring defense.

2. WR Davante Adams, Rams

Sharing the Rams’ passing-game load with Puka Nacua, Adams is not as much of a yardage machine as he was in his prime, or even last year with the Jets. He averaged 56.4 receiving yards per game, more than 20 yards below his Jets average (77.6) and his lowest since 2025, his second season.

When it matters most, though, Adams is as dangerous as ever. Despite missing three games, Adams led the NFL with 14 receiving touchdowns, three more than any other player. He also tied for 10th with 51 receiving first downs; on a per-game basis, he ranked sixth among wide receivers with 3.6 first downs per game.

This is probably the most unbelievable stat from Adams’ remarkable season: He caught 60 passes, and 51 of them were first downs (85%). The league average rate for wide receivers is 60.6%.

1. QB Sam Darnold, Seahawks

After his 2024 breakout season in Minnesota, Darnold took another leap in Seattle under offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. He was one of the most efficient quarterbacks in football this season.

Darnold ranked second in the NFL with 7.66 net yards per pass attempt, sandwiched between MVP favorites Drake Maye (7.78) and Matthew Stafford (7.35). He also ranked 10th out of 38 qualifiers in both adjusted EPA per play (0.188) and overall PFF grade (79.3), although ESPN’s QBR wasn’t too high on him (56.6, 21st).

Ball security remains an issue for Darnold, who was third in interceptions (14) and second in lost fumbles (6). Still, his explosiveness as a passer has been more than good enough to make up for the turnovers. Even with Darnold’s turnovers, Seattle had the fifth-most efficient passing offense based on DVOA.

After the whole world (including the Vikings) doubted whether his 14-win breakout season in Minnesota was for real, Darnold went out and won another 14 games while elevating his game once again. Perhaps most notably, he did what he could not do in 2024: seal the deal in the season finale with the nation watching. Darnold outplayed Brock Purdy on the road to help Seattle secure the one-seed-clinching victory.

It’s official: Darnold has arrived.

Wins are not a quarterback stat, but it is still jarring to realize that Darnold has as many wins over the last two seasons (28-6) as the Jets have over the last six seasons (28-73), a stretch that dates back to his final season with the team.