The New York Jets will be one of the most fascinating teams to follow in the NFL this upcoming season.
There are multiple storylines to consider when speaking about the 2024 Jets which may cause mixed feelings on how to perceive them. They'd finished the 2023 season with a record of 7-10 and now look to flip the script heading into 2024 with a healthy Aaron Rodgers and a variety of new faces that were added this offseason.
For some, anything short of a playoff appearance will not be tolerated and for others, the Jets are not as good as people may think.
One individual who doesn't buy the Jets hype is ProFootballTalk.com's Mike Florio who ranked all 32 NFL teams pre-training camp. Florio has New York as the 25th-best team in the NFL. He clarifies that this ranking is based on where this team currently stands and not where he thinks they will finish after this season.
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This ranking is harsh from Florio, but his reasoning for the uncertainty of this team is somewhat fair. He mentions that the Jets must count on too many injured veterans to stay healthy.
JETS 2024 SEASON: Full schedule | Primetime games | Strength of schedule | Must-watch games
Florio isn't wrong with his sentiment as multiple players on this Jets team are coming off serious injuries. Players who were injured in 2023 and who should also become vital pieces for the Jets' success in 2024 are Tyron Smith, Morgan Moses and Rodgers. Smith is slowly getting back into the groove of things at One Jets Drive after suffering a back injury that kept him out of the past four games of the 2023 regular season. The Jets are taking it easy with Smith and plan on giving him as many rest days as possible to maintain his health. Smith hasn't played a full season since 2015, hence why the Jets will have to be extra careful with the future Hall of Famer as training camp comes around.
As for Moses and Rodgers, they haven't had a lengthy injury history such as Smith. Moses played 16 games for the Ravens this past season, but his play was hindered after suffering a torn pec in Week 4. He underwent surgery earlier this offseason and is expected to be ready for training camp. For Rodgers, outside of his broken collarbone in 2017, his only other significant injury was in 2023 after tearing his Achilles. Granted, Rodgers is 40 years old, but his knowledge and arm talent can still shine on the field. Plus, he is fully healthy and back on the field with no restrictions.
There are 24 other teams better at the moment than the Jets according to Florio, but the surprise is at 22 with his pick of the Broncos. On paper, the Jets are a much better team even with finishing with one less win in 2023. Outside of fullback Michael Burton who was named on PFF's All-Pro team and guard Quinn Meinerz who was great for the Broncos this past season, the Jets have an overall superior team on paper. Betting odds show the Jets are more likely to have a winning season than the Broncos listing them at an over/under of 9.5 wins, while the Broncos are at 5.5.
To think that this Jets team on paper isn't at least a top-10 team is ludicrous with all of the talent on both sides of the ball. Sure, health is a major factor, but all teams in the NFL have to worry about health. The reason for optimism with this Jets team is that they have set themselves up with enough depth in 2024 to withstand injuries to players who may be injury-prone or are coming back from injury.
