An optimist’s guide to the 2024 New York Jets
The New York Jets swung big last offseason to finally snap their playoff drought, but an early-season injury to quarterback Aaron Rodgers sent the team into a downward spiral.
Even so, with the upgrades the team made this offseason and the AFC East landscape potentially in flux, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the Jets in 2024. Here’s why:
There’s no greater reason for optimism than the return of the four-time MVP. Barring injury, the Jets will finally have their prized 2023 offseason acquisition back on the field after he tore his Achilles just four snaps into last season’s opener.
It’s impossible to overlook the fact that in 2022, when we last saw Rodgers for an entire season, he turned in a career-worst year, throwing for 3,695 yards, 26 touchdowns and an uncharacteristic 12 interceptions. However, it’s worth noting that Rodgers suffered a broken thumb in Week 5 of that season, which hampered him the rest of the campaign and likely explains his struggles.
Nonetheless, even in his current form, the 40-year-old is still a competent and effective enough quarterback with the ability to put the Jets in a position to snap their 13-season playoff drought. After all, the Jets have finished 7-10 in each of the past two seasons with arguably the worst quarterback play in the NFL.
