The 2023 season began with such optimism for the New York Jets, something which has been so rare to see. Being in a tough conference, the Jets have such strong rivals which has limited optimism for over a decade which has seen them finish outside of a playoff place come the end of the regular season. 2023 was the 13th season in a row without reaching the NFL playoffs.
The arrival of Aaron Rodgers provided a spark amongst the fan base leading into the year. The veteran quarterback provided some much needed quality and experience leading the offense, which had had a string of underperforming or rookie quarterbacks who had failed to make a significant impact.
Despite this excitement, the season really did end in disaster. Finishing with a losing record of seven wins and 10 losses, the main talking point was the lack of their star acquisition. Rodgers suffered an Achilles tendon injury in the Week one clash against rivals Buffalo Bills, which eventually ruled him out for the entire season. Backup quarterback Zach Wilson was thrust back into the starting line up and the New York Jets were basically back where they had started.
While the loss of Aaron Rodgers had a huge effect on the team -perhaps with him fit and healthy they could have gone on to reach the playoffs - it also highlighted how badly the roster had been assembled. Cap space was spent poorly on wide receivers who failed to have any real impact. There were gaps across the roster with no replacement options for injury to starters as well as an offensive coordinator who had a dreadful prior year in Denver, who also continued to struggle in leading the offense.
Some things did go well, with some individual standout performances deserving such as running back Breece Hall for what he managed to achieve without a high-caliber quarterback running the offense. Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner earned themselves back-to-back Pro Bowl invitations while tight end Tyler Cronklin had his best season in the NFL by claiming 61 receptions for 621 yards. Quincy Williams finished the season as team MVP and maybe should have received a Pro-Bowl invitation like his brother Quinnen.
2024 will see the Jets travel across the country to begin their campaign in San Francisco against the 49ers on Monday September 9. With the roster taking shape and pre-season approaching, are the Jets in a better position to end their 13-year run of missing out on the NFL playoffs?
Key Players
With Aaron Rodgers returning too late for the 2023 season, he has had time to get to work and prepare to be stronger for 2024. He is turning 41 years old in December this year, so getting to the playoffs is a minimum expectation for him and the team this season before they need to move on from the legendary quarterback.
To improve upon the receiver options, Mike Williams was brought in from the Los Angeles Chargers and the pacey wide receiver is looking to bounce back from his own injury issues in 2023 to be fit for the opening game in San Francisco.
Four new players have been added to the offensive line which has been a real problem area for the team. Offensive Tackle Tyron Smith arrived to the delight of Jets fans who will see the eight-time Pro Bowler and twice All-Pro bring his experience and quality to the team.
From their picks in the Draft, Malachi Corley looks like he could make an instant impact alongside Mike Williams. He will provide Rodgers with a strong, quick target through the middle of the field with plenty of potential for yards after the catch.
Coaching Staff
Head coach Robert Saleh continues into 2024 with a need to improve upon lackluster performances, especially on the offensive side of the ball. To tackle this, Nathaniel Hackett has been brought in with 15 years of NFL experience after most recently working as the Head Coach of the Denver Broncos. Eight of the past 10 years he has been in the NFL, he has been an offensive coordinator, including 2019-2021 with Aaron Rodgers at the Green Bay Packers.
Schedule
With a tough road game to kick off the season they will also finish the season off with what could be a vital AFC East matchup at home to the Miami Dolphins. With two games on the road to start the season, their third match comes just 10 days after their first, when they welcome the New England Patriots to MetLife Stadium.
A strong start will be required for the Jets, who will have a number of coaches and players fully aware that their futures with the club will depend on if they can make the playoffs or not this season.