The 2024 New York Jets are not at a loss for talent on the offensive side of the ball, with names like Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, and NFL legend Aaron Rodgers headlining the unit. However, tight end Tyler Conklin could be a bigger factor this year than ever before.
Conklin is going into his third year with the team after spending his first four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. The 6-foot-3, 254-pounder is coming off of one of his best years despite bottom-tier play by New York's quarterbacks. He finished with 61 catches, which tied his career-high, and 621 yards, which is his career-high. However, he finished with no touchdowns for the first time since 2019, when he only received 10 targets.
With Rodgers now back from his Achilles tear, though, Conklin has the chance to reach new heights. While the 40-year-old Rodgers is past his prime, he's still more talented than any other signal-caller the Central Michigan alum has played with. On top of that, the two worked together for an entire off-season and training camp last year, so it'll be easier for the two to re-familiarize with each other over the coming weeks.
How high is Conklin's ceiling with the four-time MVP back at the helm?
Tyler Conklin will be a reliable target for the Jets offense
Conklin sounded off on how his prior experience with Rodgers will help moving forward, via SNY.
“Yeah, I think it definitely helps. I mean we all know how much he does before the snap, and just like the little intricacies he has with the way he runs the offense and just kind of understanding him, trying to see what he sees, I think that definitely makes a huge difference,” Conklin said. “We've been in the system, we're all more comfortable in the offense, and how it's called and what we're gonna do, and now you can kind of put a lot of focus on how do I get comfortable with all the checks and changes he can do…Obviously, we have a whole camp to build more chemistry.”
With the offensive line reinforcements, as well as the additions of Mike Williams, Malachi Corley, Braelon Allen, and Isaiah Davis to the skill-position group, the entire offense should improve on its 31st-ranked yards-per-game output from last season.
“I think we all know what we can attain. I think everybody knows in the locker room, together, we know what we wanna get done,” Conklin continued. “We know what's possible, but the big thing is just day by day, trying to just get better every single day, be where out feet are and just enjoy the moment, enjoy the process. I think if we can enjoy the process, and really focus on how we can get better as a team every day, how we can get better as individuals, then I think those things that we know we can attain can happen.”
The talent infusion should have a positive ripple effect on Conklin's numbers, as he'll be far from the defense's primary concern in coverage. Expect him to get plenty of open looks in short and intermediate areas of the field, especially over the middle.
Additionally, Rodgers has historically utilized the tight end position. His favorite players at the position with the Green Bay Packers were Jermichael Finley and Robert Tonyan, neither of whom were star players. Finley averaged 39.4 yards per contest over 69 games with the future Hall-of-Famer, as well as 19 total touchdowns, via StatMuse. Tonyan, on the other hand, averaged 21.1 yards with 17 total scores.
If Conklin can average around 40 yards per game with several touchdowns this season, it could be the difference between winning and losing some close games. Defenses will be primarily focused on Hall, Wilson, and Williams, so it'll be Conklin's responsibility to take advantage of that.
The red zone will be especially paramount, as Conklin's large frame will be valuable in the tightest area of the field. New York struggled to punch in their chances inside the 20-yard-line last season, ranking dead last with a 32.43% touchdown rate. The next-worst team was the New York Giants with a 44.19% clip.
With Rodgers back in, though, Conklin and the Jets will have no excuse to repeat those numbers. The 2018 fifth-round pick averaged 36.5 yards per game last year despite the putrid offense around him, so it's reasonable to expect him to increase that significantly.
Additionally, Conklin is typically used as a receiver more than a blocker, so he'll have plenty of chances to get open. The difference now is that he'll finally have a Jets quarterback that can get him the ball consistently.
