The Jets have added talent and improved upon depth up and down the roster. And perhaps most importantly, QB Aaron Rodgers is returning after missing all but four snaps of the 2023 NFL season after tearing an Achilles tendon in Week 1.
That was then. Now, as the Jets prepare for the 2024 season, currently in OTAs with minicamp to follow, CBS Sports writer Tyler Sullivan has taken a deep dive into the four teams of the AFC East and came away with words to warm the hearts of fans in Jets Nation.
"I'm bullish on the New York Jets in 2024," he wrote as the Green & White pursue a return to the postseason for the first time since 2010. Additionally, with changes in Buffalo (the four-time defending division winner), Miami and a rebuilding New England, the Jets are stalking their first division title since 2002.
"Even in a conference that features teams led by Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, and other elite quarterbacks, I think they [the Jets] have the makings of a surprise team to come out of the AFC and reach the Super Bowl. That's thanks to a stellar and explosive defense along with some young pieces on offense. They also addressed some of their biggest needs this offseason along the offensive line with three starting-caliber tackles."
On the offensive line, GM Joe Douglas signed free agents Tyron Smith and John Simpson, traded for veteran Morgan Moses, drafted Olu Fashanu out of Penn State with the No. 11 pick in the NFL Draft, and the club expects Alijah Vera-Tucker to return from a season-ending injury. The Jets have also given Rodgers more weapons on offense to complement RB Breece Hall and WR Garrett Wilson, signing wide receiver Mike Williams (who is still rehabbing for his season-ending injury with the Chargers), and drafting running backs Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis.
"Of course, a big reason why New York's ceiling is so high is due to the presence of Aaron Rodgers," Sullivan wrote. "We were unable to see what Rodgers' tenure with the Jets could be in Year 1 after he tore his Achilles [tendon] just four snaps into his season. That sent the Jets down a familiar path of mediocrity, but the arrow is pointing up now that Rodgers is set to rebound in 2024."
Rodgers, 40, a four-time NFL MVP and future Hall of Famer, has been part of the Jets' OTA program and is determined to return to form.
"What kind of player are we getting with Rodgers, though?," Sullivan said. "Yes, he's an all-time great quarterback earmarked for the Hall of Fame on the first ballot, but he's also a 40-year-old man coming off a torn Achilles. He said at Jets OTAs that he feels '90 percent myself and 10 percent not sure what's going on with various parts of my body.' If that's the case, a 90 percent version of Aaron Rodgers is better than any quarterback the Jets have had under center in decades and should push for the playoffs. However, if those percentages start to dip in the other direction, it could be another unfortunate chapter in the team's history."
