The New York Jets learned their lesson the hard way last season when they bet all their chips on Aaron Rodgers without having any real plan if their new franchise QB got hurt.
Ahead of last season, the Jets were viewed as legitimate Super Bowl contenders — and now with a healthy Rodgers and capable backup in case the worst case scenario happened again — New York is heading into 2024 with aspirations to bring home a Lombardi Trophy.
On paper, it’s hard to argue the Jets roster isn’t capable of contending with anyone in the NFL. Offensively, they have talent across the board — from running back Breece Hall — who has become one of the most dynamic ball-carriers in the league, to a wide receiving corps loaded with talent. Garrett Wilson is solidified himself as the New York Jets No. 1 wideout and has proven himself as one of the top young wideouts in the league.
The Jets made a few aggressive moves in free agency — most notably adding Mike Williams — who has thrived as a big-bodied target for the Chargers since he was drafted out of Clemson.
New York added another target for Rodgers in the NFL Draft, adding Western Kentucky wideout Malachi Corley in the third round. The dynamic speed threat was tabbed as Aaron Rodgers’ “favorite wide receiver” of the draft class.
Allen Lazard — a familiar target from Rodgers in Green Bay — is still on the roster but has struggled during OTAs according to reports. Some insiders believe Lazard has a chance of missing the 53-man roster if he doesn’t step his game up during training camp.
The New York Jets also made significant moves to protect their star franchise QB, adding significant talent across the offensive line. They signed former Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl tackle Tyron Smith and added Morgan Moses from the Ravens who is a top-tier right tackle. They also drafted one of the best tackles of the 2024 class, selecting Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu with the No. 11 overall pick in the first round.
Defensively, the Jets are loaded just like they were heading into last season. They closed out last season with the No. 3 defense in the NFL, allowing less than 300 yards per game. They added a few significant role players, adding DT Javon Kinlaw and safety Chuck Clark.
But if they are going to truly compete with teams like the Chiefs, Bills, Bengals and Ravens for the AFC crown, they are going to need all their players available for 2024.
In a developing story, one of their young cornerbacks was arrested overnight.
According to Jets Insider Rich Cimini, veteran CB Tae Hayes was arrested in Alabama early Sunday morning.The 26-year-old was charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession and booked into the Morgan County Jail at 3:46 a.m. according to records. There is no further information on what led to the arrest or if any other charges were filed.
Hayes came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Appalachian State in 2019 and has had a long journey to get to the New York Jets.
He’s already had stops with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers before leaving the NFL in 2022 to play for the Birmingham Stallions in the UFL.
The Panthers brought him back again in 2022 and since then, he’s had brief stints with the Ravens, Patriots and Lions before signing with the Jets last season.
Hayes was primarily a special teams contributor and played in just one game for the New York Jets in 2023.
