2009 New York Jets season
Owner	Woody & Christopher Johnson
General manager	Mike Tannenbaum
Head coach	Rex Ryan
Home field	Giants Stadium
Results
Record	9–7
Division place	2nd AFC East
Playoff finish	Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Bengals) 24–14 Won Divisional Playoffs (at Chargers) 17–14 Lost AFC Championship (at Colts) 17–30
Pro Bowlers	5 G Alan Faneca T D'Brickashaw Ferguson C Nick Mangold DE Shaun Ellis CB Darrelle Revis
AP All-Pros	3 C Nick Mangold (1st team) CB Darrelle Revis (1st team) ILB David Harris (2nd team)
Uniform
← 2008 Jets seasons 2010 →

The 2009 New York Jets season was the franchise's 40th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 50th season overall, the last season at Giants Stadium and the first under new head coach Rex Ryan. While they matched their 9–7 record from 2008, this time the team headed to the playoffs. In the postseason the Jets defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 24–14 and 17–14 over the San Diego Chargers. But in the AFC Championship Game they lost to the Indianapolis Colts 30–17.

The Jets fired head coach Eric Mangini on December 29, 2008 and hired Rex Ryan from the Baltimore Ravens on January 18, 2009. The Jets were represented at the 2010 Pro Bowl by Darrelle Revis, Nick Mangold, Shaun Ellis, D’Brickashaw Ferguson, and Alan Faneca.

One highlight from this season included the Jets snapping their former divisional rival Indianapolis Colts' NFL record 23-game regular season winning streak that dated back to October 27, 2008, in which they were beaten by their divisional rival Tennessee Titans, and the Jets also made their first AFC Championship Game appearance since 1998. Quarterback Mark Sanchez became one of two quarterbacks (the other being Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens) since the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger to win multiple playoff games in their rookie season.

Head coach Eric Mangini was fired by the Jets on December 29, 2008.^[1] The decision was made after the Jets fell from 8–3 and sole possession of first place in the AFC East with four losses in their last five games, causing them to miss a playoff berth. He finished his tenure as head coach with a 23–25 record including the playoffs.

At first, the Jets attempted to lure former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher out of retirement, with the possibility of Cowher gaining personnel decisions in addition to coaching.^[2] Cowher ultimately decided to stay retired in 2009.^[3] The Jets interviewed several candidates for their vacancy. In-house candidates included offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and offensive line coach Bill Callahan.^[4] Other candidates interviewed were Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Ron Meeks,^[5] New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo,^[6] and Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski (who was subsequently fired from his position as a result of accepting the interview).^[7]

The Jets eventually picked Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan as their head coach.^[8] He accepted the position just hours after the Ravens' loss in the AFC Championship Game on January 18, and was introduced by the Jets on January 21.^[9]

On February 27, the Jets signed former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Bart Scott to a six-year, $48 million deal.^[10] On March 3, the Jets inked Jim Leonhard, former Ravens safety, to a three-year, $6 million deal.

After failing to come to terms on a contract extension, the Jets restructured the contract of wide receiver Laveranues Coles to allow him to immediately become an unrestricted free agent on February 25.^[11] Though Coles admitted a chance he could re-sign with the Jets, he signed a four-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.^[12] On March 4, former kicker Mike Nugent was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a one-year deal.^[13]

On February 28, the Jets traded for cornerback Lito Sheppard of the Philadelphia Eagles, sending the Eagles a 2009 fifth-round draft pick and a 2010 conditional draft pick.^[14] The pick can be as high as second and as low as fourth. Upon the trade, Sheppard received a four-year, $27.2 million contract extension.

On October 7, the Jets made a blockbuster deal with the Cleveland Browns to send wide receiver Braylon Edwards to the Jets for wide receiver Chansi Stuckey, linebacker Jason Trusnik, and two draft picks.

The Jets were assigned the 17th selection in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. Prior to the 2008 season, the Jets traded a conditional fourth round selection to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for quarterback Brett Favre; this became a third round selection because Favre took the majority of snaps for the Jets in 2008.^[15] They gave their fifth round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Lito Sheppard trade.^[14] They also received a third round selection from the New Orleans Saints in exchange for linebacker Jonathan Vilma.^[16] Prior to the 2007 season, the Jets received a fourth round selection from the Washington Redskins in exchange for guard Pete Kendall; the pick was originally a 2008 fifth round selection that was upgraded due to Kendall's playing time in 2007.^[17]

On draft day, the Jets traded their first and second-round picks, defensive end Kenyon Coleman, safety Abram Elam, and quarterback Brett Ratliff to the Cleveland Browns for their first round selection, the fifth overall.^[18] The Jets used the selection to draft quarterback Mark Sanchez from the University of Southern California. The Jets also sent their third, fourth, and seventh-round selections to the Detroit Lions for the Lions' third-round pick, which was the first of the second day of the draft.^[19] The Jets selected running back Shonn Greene of the University of Iowa with this pick.