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With the New York Jets' week one game against the San Francisco 49ers just around the corner, a lot of eyes will be on the Aaron Rodgers-led squad. Ahead of a season with high expectations, we'll make our 2024 Jets bold predictions.
The Jets had an incredibly disappointing 2023 season due to Aaron Rodgers' torn Achilles. They went 7-10 with Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle, and Trevor Siemian splitting time at quarterback. With a first-ballot Hall of Famer under center, they should be set for a significant improvement in 2024.
If the Jets can start their season 1-0, they will be well on their way to breaking their record playoff drought. They have not made the playoffs since 2011, the longest active drought in the league. The game against the 49ers is followed by matchups against the Titans and Patriots, which are winnable games. Let's move to the Jets 2024 season predictions.
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Aaron Rodgers will finish top five in MVP voting
Aaron Rodgers is coming off a brutal Achilles injury that he suffered on the fourth snap of the season. While it was a brutal end to his season, he is now rested for the 2024 campaign. He did not play in any pre-season games but did practice with the first team all summer and is ready to go for week one for the Jets. While it is impossible to expect a fully healthy season from a 40-year-old, Rodgers is starting on the right foot.
In his last season with the Packers, Rodgers was not his regular MVP-level self. He threw for less than 4000 yards and 26 touchdowns, both significantly lower than his numbers from the previous two years. Rodgers won back-to-back MVPs in 2020 and 2021, putting the final stamp on his Hall of Fame career.
With a year of rest under his belt and a stacked offensive unit, Rodgers will be back in the top five in MVP voting, With Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and Lamar Jackson all in the AFC, the race will be tight. A bounce-back season from Rodgers will land him firmly within that group. He also will become the second quarterback to ever throw 4000 yards in a season for the Jets.
Garrett Wilson will break the Jets' single-season yard record
In conjunction with a great season from Aaron Rodgers, Garrett Wilson will also be a great receiver this season. He has broken 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons with the Jets despite some of the worst quarterback play in the league. Rodgers has already called Wilson one of the best wide receivers in the league, so their relationship is clearly in a good place.
The Jets' single-season yards record is 1,502, achieved by Brandon Marshall in 2015. With an extra game and a much better quarterback, Marshall had Ryan Fitzpatrick, Wilson can make a run at that number. Last season, Wilson racked up the second-most catches in franchise history, behind Marshall's 2015 record. With a better quarterback, he will get more yards after the catch.
Only three receivers eclipsed 1,502 yards last season. Tyreek Hill, Ceedee Lamb, and Amon-Ra St Brown represent three of the best receivers in football, and the company Wilson would join by reaching the 1500 plateau. While it is a bold prediction, the Jets' success relies on their offense and that starts with Garrett Wilson.
Jets win AFC East for first time since 2002
According to FanDuel, the Jets are favored to win the AFC East. If they pull that off, it would be the first time in 22 years that they won the division and hosted a playoff game. The Bills and Dolphins provide stiff competition but if Rodgers and Wilson have those great seasons, their defense should carry them the rest of the way to a title.
To win a division, a team must perform well in division games. The Jets have not done that under Robert Saleh. They are 4-14 in the three seasons with Saleh as the head coach in AFC East games. They have not swept the Patriots since 2000 and must accomplish that to have a good division record. If they split the games with Buffalo and Miami, a 4-2 record might be enough to get it done.
This is the loftiest goal the Jets can have this season. With a tough schedule and two great teams in the division, it will be a difficult road to the AFC East crown. The Jets are in position to unseat the Bills as kings of the AFC East heading into the 2024 season.
