The Jets have not made the playoffs since their AFC Championship game loss in 2010.

The polarizing popularity of future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers. The plethora of young superstars on both sides of the ball. The departure of Bill Belichick. There are dozens of talking points and reasons to expect the Jets to be a large part of the NFL storylines in 2024. The NFL agrees, handing New York 6 (Six!) Prime Time games within the first 11 games of the season.

Will this hype lead to any real success? I had the pleasure and subsequent misery of being present in the stands for the Jets home win against Buffalo last season, seeing Rodgers run onto the field with an American flag on 9/11. It was miraculous. It felt like I was about to witness something inconceivable. And, well, I did.

The past has passed. That was then, this is now. Rodgers is presumably healthy, and the Jets prioritized the Offensive Line. Tyron Smith, an oft-injured left tackle with a Hall of Fame resume, was signed to protect Aaron Rodgers from all those who wish him harm. With the Jets first draft pick in the 2024 draft, they took Olumuyiwa Fashanu, another highly regarded Offensive Lineman, from Penn State. 2021 First Round draft pick, Alijah Vera-Tucker, is expected to be back and ready after a great start to his 2023 season was ended by injury.

No sports franchise in the U.S. (or Canada) has a longer current drought of the postseason than the New York Jets.

New York has a few things that may help them break this horrendous stretch of lackluster performance. One that comes to mind is the addition of Tyrod Taylor. While this was not by any means the most important acquisition of the off season, it is important to have a capable, experienced back-up option. Best case scenario, Taylor will not see the field unless the Jets are up by 30 in the 4th quarter. However, if things do not go as according to plan, we know what Taylor can be, and he has been serviceable as a backup for multiple teams during his career.

The focus on the offensive line, as previously mentioned, is a huge matter that the Jets tried to remedy. They also beefed up the depth at the skill positions on offense. Through the draft, the Jets selected two running backs, a wide receiver and a quarterback, all prior to selecting any players on defense. This is unprecedented for New York, who has seemingly always been a defense-first team, especially through the draft. The Jets also added Mike Williams, a former 2017 first-round pick for the Chargers, who has scored 30+ Touchdowns in his career. Paired with Garrett Wilson, Rodgers may have the most talented receiver core of his career.

The defense, which is the heart and soul of the Jets, will now be able to potentially have an offense that can give them time to rest. This has been a major factor in wearing down the unit, especially as the 3 and outs began to pile up. Inconsistent quarterback play, from a variety of different QBs led to more disfunction. This did not help a unit that still managed to stifle some of the NFL’s most talented offensives. This defense added another proven pass rusher in Haason Reddick, who could prove to take this team to similar heights, if not higher heights, than years past.

As we stand today, the Jets are -140 on DraftKings Sportsbook to make the playoffs. They are +190 to win the AFC East. +1100 to win the AFC and go to the Super Bowl. And if that was not enough to get excited about, they are currently listed at +2000, or 20 to 1, to win the Super Bowl.

Jets fans are starved for meaningful football, and 2024-25 may finally be the season they get a piece of the pie.