How will the New York Jets bounce back from a nightmare 2023 season?

In case you missed it — the New York Jets’ 2023 campaign didn’t quite go as expected after trading for Aaron Rodgers. The future Hall of Famer tore his Achilles on the first drive of the season and the club was never able to recover after some less-than-stellar QB play.

Presumably with a healthy Rodgers under center, the Jets will be looking to retool in 2024, and according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., a major upgrade on the offensive side of the ball could be coming when the club selects 10th overall in this coming April’s NFL Draft in the form of Georgia tight end, Brock Bowers.

“How far could Bowers fall? My guy Field Yates got a lot of stick for slotting him to the Seahawks at No. 16. The reality is it’s tough to find an ideal spot for Bowers in the top 10 because of the depth of the quarterback, offensive tackle and wide receiver classes. Each of those positions is valued higher than tight end. So while I love him as a prospect — he’s No. 8 on my Big Board — it might take a trade for him to land in the top 10.

That is … unless the Jets take him here. Think about it: Aaron Rodgers is returning, they have a void at the position and they might jump at the opportunity to add a pass-catching tight end with rare run-after-the-catch ability. There’s a natural fit. And yes, New York has a bigger hole at offensive tackle, but what if it doesn’t totally love its options here? I always say — drafting strictly for need will get teams into trouble. So even with Olu Fashanu (Penn State) on the board, I’m going with a Bowers-Jets connection.”

Aaron Rodgers New York Jets
Sep 11, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) warms up before the game against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
New York Jets Injury Plagued 2023 Season
Everything was set for the New York Jets to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders for the first time in seemingly forever. However, the Aaron Rodgers era in ‘The Big Apple’ didn’t go as planned as the future first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback tore his Achilles on the very first drive of his Jets career.

As expected, the QB carousel of Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian, and Tim Boyle didn’t quite get the job done as the Jets finished with a subpar 7-10 record despite some flashes from the usual suspects Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, and Breece Hall.