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Russian (RU) 2024 season: 5-12, third in AFC East, missed playoffs
Overview: At the beginning of the season, the Jets had playoff hopes. Maybe even Super Bowl dreams. That faded fast. The Jets got off to a horrible start, fired head coach Robert Saleh, and never got much better. They were 2-4 when they made the desperate move to trade for receiver Davante Adams. While Adams had some good games late in the season, the trade was a waste for a team that was never in playoff contention.
The Jets started the offseason looking for a new head coach, eventually hiring former Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Now it appears they'll need a new quarterback as the team reportedly intends to cut ties with Aaron Rodgers. New York loaded up for a memorable push with Rodgers, and fell way short. What’s left was some mismatched veterans who were brought in to get the Jets over the top, but didn’t.
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The Jets haven't made the playoffs since the end of the 2010 season, and it's hard to come up with a lot of optimism that the streak ends in the 2025 season.
The New York Jets are opening a new era with new head coach Aaron Glenn, who will be dealing with a new QB after the team likely moves on from Aaron Rodgers. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Getty Images)
(Ed Mulholland via Getty Images)
Key free agents
CB D.J. Reed
OT Tyron Smith
DE Haason Reddick
OT Morgan Moses
DT Javon Kinlaw
Who’s in/out: The Jets didn't extend Reed, so he's very likely to hit free agency. As one of the top cornerbacks on the market, he should get a healthy deal. The Jets tried to build up their offensive line with veteran tackles Smith and Moses, but now they might be on the way out too. Reddick seems very unlikely to be back after a drawn out holdout and almost no production. The Jets won't have enough salary cap space to keep many of their free agents, given the dead cap hits that might be coming.
Key free-agent needs
Quarterback
Offensive line
Tight end
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Why the holes? What’s troubling about the Jets’ failure last season was that the talent on the roster wasn’t bad. There’s a reason they thought it was smart to go all-in around Rodgers. New York's defense was elite during the 2022 and 2023 seasons and could rebound. But with Rodgers not returning, and perhaps Davante Adams gone as well, the offense is back in the same hole it had been in before last season. And it’s not like the offense was great with Rodgers last season. The Jets have to come up with a plan at quarterback, and fast.
Do they have the money?
The Jets went into the offseason in the bottom 10 of the NFL in cap space, according to Spotrac. They had $8 million under the projected cap. That number won't get better with some veterans leaving and also some voidable years that will pile a lot of dead money on the cap.
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
Notable potential cuts
WR Davante Adams
QB Aaron Rodgers
LB C.J. Mosley
WR Allen Lazard
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Why they’re gone: The Jets will likely have to eat a hefty cap hit by cutting Rodgers. Adams has a $38.34 cap hit in 2025, so he holds the cards. If he wants out, he'll refuse to renegotiate and the Jets will practically be forced to cut him. Lazard wasn't bad but he was always a package deal with Rodgers. And while Mosley has had a very good career, he'll be 33 years old next season coming off an injury-filled year.
Draft picks
1st round: No. 7
2nd round: No. 42
3rd round (from Lions): No. 92
4th round
5th round
5th round (from Steelers)
6th round
6th round (from Chiefs)
Good draft fit
Kelvin Banks Jr., OT/OG, Texas
Why him? The Jets invested in the offensive line last season by drafting Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu in the first round. With the potential of losing some veterans off the line, the Jets could look again at adding to the group again with Banks, a huge left tackle for the Longhorns. With Fashanu and Banks, the Jets could be set at tackle for a long time.
It sounds like the Aaron Rodgers experiment is over, and there’s no heir apparent in the building. So New York will evaluate every possible trade option and draft option for the quarterback seat. After that is resolved, New York needs to figure out what went wrong with young talents Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson, both mild disappointments in 2024. Perhaps Wilson was mostly derailed by Rodgers’ established connection with midseason addition Davante Adams. The Jets need to evaluate how redeemable the relationship with Wilson is. —Scott Pianowski
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