The Jets were officially eliminated from postseason contention this past Sunday, drawing a line under a tumultuous season where the team was besieged by injury issues.
In some respects, it’s probably a relief that the team can now focus on what lies ahead instead of desperately trying everything they can to stay in contention.
With that in mind, let’s consider what the organization will be focused on moving forward, and whether we can gather any clues about their intentions from how the rest of the season plays out.
The Aaron Rodgers situation
The possibility of Rodgers returning on a surgically repaired Achilles to lead the Jets on a playoff run was likely always a pipe dream, and belonged more on the pages of a Hollywood movie script than any level-headed team’s main strategy.
With the Jets being eliminated, it’s now been confirmed that Rodgers won’t play this season, and that’s probably just as well. The temptation to try and manifest some kind of Rodgers miracle was understandably strong, but could have been catastrophic if he was re-injured or suffered some kind of setback that limited his 2024 preparation.
Considering the physical limitations the injury would place upon him and the decimated offensive line personnel up front, the risk of an injury would have been significant, too.
If all goes to plan, Rodgers’ return will fix a lot of the team’s biggest issues next year. He gets the ball out quick, so the offensive line’s job will be a lot easier. He poses a passing game threat, so opposing defenses can’t stack the box to stop the run. He’ll make the receiving talent look better by having better chemistry with his pass-catchers. This should even make the coaching and play-calling suddenly look a whole lot more competent.
The Jets must do all they can to keep him healthy and optimize his effectiveness, though. Especially now that they’ve had an extended look at what life is like without him.
Coaching changes
Reports indicate that the Jets are planning for head coach Robert Saleh, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and general manager Joe Douglas to return in 2024. Crucially, Rodgers himself gave all three a strong public endorsement earlier this week. Barring a humiliating collapse over the past three weeks, the team looks set to run it back with this group.
That doesn’t mean the coaching staff will be unchanged, though. The defense has been strong all season, so they could potentially find themselves forced to replace staff who get bigger roles elsewhere. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich could get some head coaching interviews, and some of his assistants may be in line for coordinator roles.
If the Jets are going to fire anyone from this year’s staff, offensive line coach Keith Carter could be an obvious scapegoat. The communication struggles on the line and the disappointing output in the running game are both partly the responsibility of Carter, who is also the team’s running game coordinator.
Pending free agents
In terms of their current roster, the Jets have some difficult decisions on players whose contract is up at the end of the year. These include starters Bryce Huff, Mekhi Becton and Jordan Whitehead, but there are several other key contributors they’ll need to make decisions on.
Huff has had a breakout year and leads the team in sacks, so there’s sure to be a big market for him. Becton has at last managed to stay on the field for most of the year, but recent struggles make his outlook uncertain. Whitehead has been a productive starter for the past two seasons, but a return will depend on how expensive he is.
We could get some clues as to whether or not some of these players are still in the team’s plans over the next few weeks, as they may look to phase out some current contributors to give younger alternatives an opportunity.
Offseason targets
Rodgers has already committed to helping the Jets recruit more talent this year, although virtually all the players with connections to him that the Jets signed in 2023 have been disappointing and, in many cases, won’t be back.
Nevertheless, the chance to play with Rodgers, even coming off an injury, will attract some players. And the Jets will look to fill some holes and add some experienced winners to the group. One move that makes sense and has been widely speculated would be for the Jets to trade for wide receiver Davante Adams, another former Rodgers teammate.
Draft priorities
The Jets will look to shore up as many needs as possible before April’s draft, in which their first pick could be in the top five if they lose out, or potentially outside the top 10 if they win out. That should allow them to pick up a stud prospect or trade down for more assets, which is a possibility since the team has no second-round pick due to the Rodgers trade.
A logical target early on if they don’t trade down would be a tackle such as Joe Alt or Olu Fashanu.
Later on, they will look for players with upside but also potential contributors so they can shore up their depth. Based on the Jets’ current roster, offensive line depth is an obvious priority, but they may also look to bring in some linebackers and defensive backs who could potentially develop into starters over the next year or two. The defensive tackle position will also need reinforcements.