Another offseason, another slate of questions regarding Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets.
We all know how the 2023 season went for Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets. All of the hype and excitement around a new and improved Jets team with Aaron Rodgers at the helm. Instead, the season went down the drain four plays into Week 1, with a torn Achilles and a Jets team unable to adapt.
By season’s end, the offense would finish 31st in the NFL, only beating out the Carolina Panthers. So let’s just say they didn’t live up to the hype. (If there’s any consolation, the defense did live up to the hype finishing 12th. And, they would’ve done even better had the offense been able to stay on the field).
That’s all in the past now. New season, new reason for hope, at least one would think.
The Elephant in the Room
We have to mention the elephant in the room. No, Aaron Rodgers isn’t leaving the Jets to run for Vice President. As interesting as that story is for all the wrong reasons, it isn’t happening. However, I will say when Rodgers mentioned that the “bulls–t that has nothing to do with winning needs to get out of the building” – technically this was still focused on winning, just not for the Jets. I guess he gets away with a technicality.
Rodgers has also managed to make headlines with conspiracy theories that he may or may not adhere to, but the fact that he didn’t make them directly to us through the media makes it not worth our time to address. One last comment about this: If Rodgers really left to run for VP, I could almost guarantee Robert Saleh would have been fired by the end of the season, if not before then. Especially considering how terrible the Jets were at adjusting without Rodgers on the field.
Now, back to the outlook for the 2024 season for the Jets.
NY Jets 2024 Outlook
The Jets offense looks virtually the same on paper as it did at the beginning of last season. Garrett Wilson is the WR1, Breece Hall as RB1, Aaron Rodgers as QB1, with Sauce Gardner, Quinnen Williams and company on the defense. Sure, they cut Corey Davis, Dalvin Cook is no longer there, and the team’s still looking to trade Zach Wilson and Allen Lazard. They also signed Tyrod Taylor from the Giants and a handful of offensive line weapons – including former Dallas Cowboys OL Tyron Smith. But, the top players are the same. Just like last season, we can say that a healthy Aaron Rodgers gives the New York Jets a chance to make the playoffs.
But, there are some things now that we have questions about.
Can the Jets OL stay healthy?
Going into last season, the New York Jets offensive line was little more than an afterthought, but now we know just how bad the problem was. They were bottom-5 in the league as of the start of the offseason. If you can’t win out in the trenches you have a major disadvantage in the game, no matter who is under center taking those snaps.
There is hope, however. Tyron Smith just signed a 1-year deal after eight years with the Cowboys. He has had injuries in the past, but Smith is an tier talent and a desperately needed left tackle. The team also traded for Baltimore Ravens’ offensive lineman Morgan Moses, and signed another Ravens’ lineman in LG John Simpson.
There’s also David Bakhtiari, Aaron Rodgers old buddy from the Green Bay Packers. He has been released and intends to play this season after getting himself healthy. There’s still plenty of offseason to go, and the Jets may very well may continue to add help. But as of now this unit still remains a huge question mark with the group’s age and health concerns.
Aaron Rodgers and his Achilles – How will that affect his play going forward?
Achilles injuries are known to have long term effects on endurance, muscle strength, speed, and flexibility. Luckily, Aaron Rodgers is a QB who has never relied on his running or athletic ability to make plays and be a good quarterback; instead he uses his excellent arm strength and reads the defense at an elite level. So, the effect of the injury on his ability to play will likely be minimal.
There is the risk of re-injury, but with modern medical technology the risk is about the same as injuring the Achilles for any athlete playing football. He will most likely be able to come back from the injury and still play at a high caliber.
Does Nathaniel Hackett help the offense at all?
The answer is probably no. Hackett was unable to adjust when the Jets had to shift to Zach Wilson, and as mentioned before, the offense was 2nd-worst in the league. e can’t forget that Sean Payton called him out before last season to state how bad he was, and Hackett did nothing in 2023 to prove that he in fact knows what he’s doing.
If Aaron Rodgers is injured or unable to play for whatever reason, the offense is in trouble with him as OC. It’s pretty clear Rodgers likes him because he lets Rodgers do exactly what he wants to do. The good thing is that the 39-year old should be ready to go by the start of the season. As long as Rodgers is there, Hackett will do exactly what Rodgers wants him to do.
What to do at WR2
The New York Jets don’t have a WR2 that they can rely on. Mecole Hardman didn’t work (and he burned some bridges on his way out), Corey Davis is gone, and there’s no one that stands out on their current roster other than Garrett Wilson. Could Odell Beckham end up here? Maybe. Could they find someone in the draft to fill this hole? Definitely, but the draft is a huge unknown at this point.
Update: The New York Jets have signed former Chargers’ wide receiver Mike Williams to a 1-year, $15 million contract.
In Conclusion
So, what is the outlook for Aaron Rodgers and the Jets in 2024? A lot depends on how well the offensive line does. If Rodgers can get decent protection and stay healthy, then on paper, the Jets can just run it back.
The Achilles injury does leave some uncertainty, but given Rodgers’ play style and the fact that medical technology has gotten better, he should be minimally impacted by the injury.
This time the Jets won’t fall back to Zach Wilson, but instead will have Tyrod Taylor. Taylor has proven that he can be a good backup and has had some success in the league.
Will they get a reliable WR2? Time will tell.
Fingers crossed, the Jets can make the playoffs. And once you make it, anything is possible. If not, head coach Robert Saleh will be gone at the end of the season.
