New York Jets

Lore & Background

The team was founded in 1959 as the Titans of New York, a charter member of the American Football League (AFL); the franchise joined the NFL in the AFL–NFL merger. The team began play in 1960 at the Polo Grounds in upper Manhattan. Under new ownership, the current name was adopted in 1963 and the franchise moved to Shea Stadium in Queens in 1964, then to the Meadowlands Sports Complex in New Jersey in 1984. The Jets advanced to the AFL playoffs for the first time in 1968 and went on to compete in Super Bowl III where they defeated the Baltimore Colts, becoming the first AFL team to defeat an NFL club in an AFL–NFL World Championship Game. The Jets have never returned to the Super Bowl. Since 1970 the Jets have won the AFC East only twice, in 1998 and 2002. They have qualified for the postseason 12 times, and reached the AFC Championship Game four times, most recently losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010. The Jets have not qualified for the playoffs since then. The Jets also have the longest championship drought among New York's major professional sports franchises, having eclipsed the New York Rangers' 54-year drought (from 1940 to 1994) in 2023.

In Their Own Story

The air at MetLife Stadium was thick with humidity and anticipation, a rare convergence of two distinct fanbases under one roof. On one side, rows of blue jerseys waved with the proud history of Vince Lombardi's legacy; on the other, green and white fans chanted with the rebellious spirit of the AFL. The kickoff echoed not just as the start of a game, but as a reminder of a city that refuses to settle for one team. As the Giants' offense lined up against the Jets' defense, the roar was deafening, a singular sound from millions of New Yorkers demanding excellence from their shared representatives.

Reader's Guide

The Jets' team colors are green and white, although they have at times used black as a third/trim color and have had a black alternate uniform since 2019. For most of their history the Jets had white helmets with green stripes and oval or football-shaped logos, and color-inverted jersey sleeves; the current primary uniforms are based on the design used from 1978 to 1989 with simpler striping, green helmets, and a wordmark logo in stylized italic lettering with a jet-plane silhouette above the letters. The team's training facility was located at Hofstra University on Long Island until 2008, when the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center opened in Florham Park.

Did You Know?

• The Jets were originally named the Titans of New York; the name was chosen by founder Harry Wismer, who said 'Titans are bigger and stronger than Giants.'
• The Jets' first organizational meeting as the Titans took place on August 14, 1959.
• The Jets' Super Bowl III victory was the first by an AFL team over an NFL club in an AFL–NFL World Championship Game.
• The Jets currently hold the longest active playoff drought in the NFL and the longest drought in the 'Big 4' North American sports leagues.