Isaiah Williams was one of the bright spots for the New York Jets in a very dreary year in 2025. He was signed by the Jets in week 2, and played 15 games as the Jets’ primary punt returner and secondary kick returner. As a punt returner Williams was superb, returning 28 punts for a total of 396 yards, two touchdowns and a sparkling 14.1 yards per punt return. There wasn’t a lot to cheer for on the Jets in 2025, but Williams was definitely one.
Williams is only 25 years old. It looked like the Jets might have found a great returner for the next several years. Then came this year.
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It started off fine. On opening day against the Tennessee Titans Williams returned two punts for 29 yards and 14.5 yards per return. It looked like he was picking up right where he left off in 2025. Then came the Jets second game of the season against the Green Bay Packers. The game was played in a steady rain, making the conditions less than ideal to catch the ball. On Williams’ first three punt returns he fumbled, returned a punt for two yards, then fumbled again and was called for an illegal fair catch signal penalty. All this happened in the first quarter of the game. It was a disastrous start to the game for Williams, though the Jets fortunately did not turn the ball over on either of the fumbles.
What has happened since for Williams has been somewhat concerning. In the first five quarters of football played by the Jets in 2026, the Jets’ opponents punted 10 times and Williams returned five of them, including the two fumbles. That 50% return rate is right in line with his 2026 campaign, when Williams returned 28 of 57 punts.
In the seven quarters of football the Jets have played since Williams’ fumbles, Jets opponents have punted five times. Williams has not returned any of them. This is a tiny sample, so we shouldn’t read too much into it. Nonetheless, to me he has looked a little gun-shy out there since the fumbles. That’s a subjective opinion. Maybe others see things differently. But there are other aspects of Williams’ performance thus far that raise questions.
In 2025 Williams ranked 6th among punt returners with 16+ returns with 14.1 yards per return. In 2026 he ranks 20th among punt returners with 3+ returns with a miniscule 6.2 yards per return.
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In 2025 Williams was 13th in the NFL with 13 fair catches. In 2026 he ranks 1st in the NFL with two.
In 2025 Williams ranked 5th in the NFL in returns with 28. In 2026 he ranks 12th with five.
In 2025 Williams had zero return fumbles. In 2026 he is the only returner in the NFL with multiple fumbles.
In 2025 Williams returned 48+% of opponents’ punts. In 2026 he has returned 33+%, and 0% after his two fumbles.
Again, the 2026 numbers represent a tiny sample, too small to draw any definitive conclusions. Nonetheless the numbers should raise at least a modicum of concern.
Do the Jets have an Isaiah Williams problem? It’s too soon to tell, but probably not too soon for this to be on the Jets’ radar. If Williams doesn’t pick up his performance as a returner soon, the Jets have another option. His name is Jamaal Pritchett, and perhaps it’s not entirely a coincidence the Jets signed him off the practice squad last week. If Williams doesn’t come out of his early season funk relatively soon, we may see Pritchett get a shot in the punt returner role.
