By Avi Wizwer
As the NFL season is heating up, one team in particular is looking to make themselves a contender: the New York Jets. This underdog team is looking to overthrow the league and take it by storm. Coming off an impressive season last year, with promising young talent such as Garrett Wilson and Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, the Jets finished 7-10 in the 2022 season, where Gardner earned his first all-pro honor to add under his belt.
The Jets also accomplished a phenomenal off-season with the major signings of Aaron Rogers, Dalvin Cook, and Randall Cobb. The new-looking Jets have the potential to make the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. With this newly acquired offense, Rogers has two elite options in Sauce Gardner and former all-pro running back Dalvin Cook. With these two options having an aerial threat and an established running back, there is a possibility this team can become a top-10 offense in the NFL, especially with one of the best quarterbacks in the game, Aaron Rogers.
There has been some skepticism with all the hype that has surrounded the Jets. Former player and future Hall of Famer Joe Klecko believes that Aaron Rogers wasn’t the right move for the Jets, and they should’ve looked elsewhere for the quarterback position. With Rogers’ age being in question, he’s unsure if the veteran quarterback can rally the young guys to the promised land. In Klecko’s opinion, he believes the Jets should have gone with Derek Carr instead because of the locker room issues the Jets have been facing, with a lack of team chemistry and lack of leadership in the locker room. As they continue to face scrutiny and criticism, we will be able to see how this group responds.
The team’s general manager, Joe Douglass, has been focused on creating a positive environment to get the team back to where they need to be, which is winning games. Additionally, the hiring of Head Coach Robert Saleh has been another big part of their recent success. With the coaching change, there has been a breath of fresh air in terms of a winning mentality as Douglass is enforcing into his players what it takes to win, and how they must show up in order for the Jets to be successful.
The Jets are moving in the right direction by making the right moves, and are all in on building their program to become a winning culture once again. This season could be the season that they have a breakout year and will silence the critics, naysayers, and doubters and get their fans around the world excited for the upcoming season.