When the New York Jets traded for Aaron Rodgers, this organization went from irrelevant to immediate Super Bowl contenders, at least according to the NFL media and fans.
There's plenty of confidence inside that locker room that the team could win a championship with Rodgers under center. Sure, the Jets might've traded for a future Hall of Fame quarterback, but the expectations still seem pretty hefty for a team that hasn't played in a playoff game since 2010.
Surely, the Jets' offense should be well improved, as they have finished in the bottom five of scoring over the last five years. Even with Rodgers, a 40-year-old quarterback coming off of a torn Achilles, he should support a better offense than what they have had recently.
That doesn't necessarily translate to a championship-level offense, even if that side of the ball is better in 2024.
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Jets 2024 Key Additions |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Acquisition Type |
|
Hasaan Reddick - EDGE |
Traded 2026 conditional third-round pick |
|
Mike Williams - WR |
Signed one-year deal, up to $15 million |
|
Tyron Smith - OT |
Signed one-year deal, up to $20 million |
|
John Simpson - OG |
Signed two-year deal, $12 million |
|
Javon Kinlaw - DT |
Signed one-year deal, $7.2 million |
|
Morgan Moses - OT |
Traded 2024 fourth and sixth round picks |
|
Olumuyiwa Fashanu - OT |
Drafted 11th overall |
|
Malachi Corley - WR |
Drafted 65th overall |
If you notice something common about the Jets free agency period, most moves were one-year deals. With how the front office has approached this offseason, it feels like the team is going all-in in 2024, not worrying much about the future. That could be a massive mistake, as the Jets are more likely to become a disappointment than a championship-level team in 2024.
The Jets swung a trade for a talented edge rusher earlier in the offseason, but have yet to show any interest in signing him to an extension.
A Declining Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers is far past his prime and expectation should be temperedListen, Rodgers will forever be viewed as one of the best quarterbacks of all time, but he wasn't the same player in 2022, his last season with the Green Bay Packers. He won't be the same player in 2024, coming from a torn Achilles at 40. He didn't trust his wide receivers and wasn't processing the field, causing some of the issues in his last season in Green Bay.
|
Aaron Rodgers Final Packers Season (2022) |
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|---|---|
|
Passing Yards |
3,695 |
|
Passing Touchdowns |
26 |
|
Interceptions |
12 |
|
Completion Percentage |
64.6 |
|
Yards Per Attempt |
6.8 |
For most quarterbacks, this would be an awesome season. For Rodgers, it was the most interceptions he's thrown since 2008 and the lowest Y/A of his career. While this would be adequate play for the Jets, it won't be enough for them to become Super Bowl champions.
Garrett Wilson should have the best year of his career with more stable quarterback play, and the offense overall has a lot more potential as a unit. However, the Packers' offense in 2022 finished 14th in points with Rodgers and a solid, young wide receiver corps. Expectations can be higher with Rodgers as part of the offense than with other recent Jets offenses, but don't get too excited.
Lack Of Wide Receiver Talent
The Jets wide receiver corps might be the weakest Rodgers has had
Wilson is one of the best young wide receivers in the game, but after him, there's not much to be excited about within the Jets wide receiver room. Mike Williams is recovering from a torn ACL and going to be 30-years old in October. Allen Lazard's roster spot might not even be secure after a disappointing 2024 season.
Malachi Corley is a rookie draft pick who Rodgers loved coming out of the draft, but will likely need a transition period as he comes from Conference USA playing at Western Kentucky.
It's not to say there isn't talent within the Jets wide receiver corps, it's more to say there are a lot of unknowns. NFL wide receivers typically don't return to form immediately upon a torn ACL, as they have to build confidence in running once again. Corley excelled as a yards-after-catch receiver, but needs to prepare for the talent to be much stronger in the NFL. Outside of Wilson, there's no guarantee that Rodgers will have another consistent pass catcher.
Realistic Expectations
Super Bowl expectations may be a bit extreme, but the Jets should be playoff contenders in 2024.
Despite having the 29th ranked offense in 2023, the Jets still finished 7-10. With improved quarterback play, the team should at the very least be competing for a playoff spot. But it won't be as easy as it seems, as the Buffalo Bills are still likely the team to beat in the AFC East with Josh Allen, and the Miami Dolphins had one of the league's most explosive offenses last season.
If Rodgers has a similar stat line as he did in 2022 with a really good Jets defense, they should be able to win 10 or 11 games. If he continues to decline, especially after his recent injury, the Jets could be looking at eight or nine wins on the playoff bubble. Even reaching a Super Bowl seems like a slim chance among all realistic possibilities.
