Feb 5, 2023; Pebble Beach, California, USA; Aaron Rodgers hits his tee shot on the fifteenth hole during the third round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Mandatory Credit: Ray Acevedo-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Jets preparations for the coming 2024 National Football League campaign are progressing well, and there is good reason to be optimistic about the year that lies ahead.
They head into the 2024 gridiron season looking to end the lengthy and disappointing record 13-year postseason drought. Many believe that in the last couple of seasons, the team has built a defense that can end that drought. When looking at the overall roster the team is being talked about as favorites to be Super Bowl contenders this year. For those who like betting on NFL matchups this week that will again become a regular thing when we reach the week one kick off.
Now, of course, similar claims were being made just 12 months ago about us breaking that streak, but sadly it ended quickly when QB Aaron Rodgers suffered an Achilles tear at his debut that basically ruled him out of action for the entire season from pretty much the get go of campaign.
However, with Rodgers now back fully fit and fighting (albeit a notable unexcused omission from mandatory minicamp the other week), again there is a good reason for the return of optimism and hope. Even if Rodgers is unable (for whatever reason, be it his age now, a consequence of his injury, or a mix of both) to get back to that kind of form and those levels of production on the offense, his experience, talent and game savvy still makes him a clear improvement on 24 year old Zach Wilson and the alternative QB options (Trevor Siemian and Tim Boyle) the team had last year.
Now nobody knows what will happen with the 40-year-old at this point and what we can expect from him; despite the roster improvements we have made when it comes to the defense, and then Rodgers’ options when on offense, he ultimately remains the absolute lynchpin in Saleh’s plans, so the year will hinge on him, despite the improvements around him.
But that is the nature of the game, every franchise really revolves around the QB and it is why they get the big money; the Jets are no different on that front, so, whilst very valid questions remain for fans when it comes to our key signal caller, few would doubt that as long as fitness does not become an issue again, there is no way that we will not be a far more competitive side at this time of asking.
Again we do not need an MVP season from him, but Rodgers has been here before with people questioning his future and talking about how his productivity was already on the decline. That happened a couple of years back and hot on the heels of his 2019 criticism (an efficient but not outstanding year in the pocket), and he responded perfectly by getting back to back MVP awards in 2020 and 2021 to take his personal tally to four. Many would argue his league best levels of production in both of those seasons were absolutely amongst the best in his long and illustrious career.
Rodgers may, or may not, be considering the option of giving his throwing arm a rest and hanging up his helmet for good, but whether or not he intends to bow out at the end of the year, one thing is for sure: having missed out on last season with injury, he will be absolutely determined to prove his doubters wrong once again this year; having recently joked that the team could be ‘exiled’ this year if they did not perform, it seems he may have that chip back on his shoulder – and that is when he performs at his best, or at least near to it.
Whether or not that is enough to bring an end to the drought, that absolutely remains to be seen. Everyone will understand why the Jets stock is high, why they are one of the favorites, and why plenty in the Jets fan base are very hopeful about the year ahead.