The 2023 season has been a roller coaster of emotions for the New York Jets. Entering the season, there were legitimate Super Bowl aspirations with Aaron Rodgers as the team’s starting quarterback. Four offensive snaps into the season, those hopes disappeared.
Rodgers tore his left Achilles, forcing the Jets to turn to Zach Wilson as the starter once again. The result was disastrous at the start, as New York promptly lost three games in a row. Mock trades were being made about who the team could acquire to save the season.
That was the valley of the 2023 season for the Jets. They are now ascending and are heading toward another peak. After upsetting the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6, New York is back at the .500 mark heading into their bye week.
A .500 record at this point in the season was something many fans would have been happy about with Rodgers in the fold. Four of their first six opponents were considered by some as Super Bowl contenders, with their easiest matchups being against the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos.
The biggest challenge the team had to overcome was the performance of Wilson. His performance out of the gates was abysmal, but he has played more competently in recent weeks, keeping the Jets in games and not costing them with turnovers and bad decisions.
That, in the opinion of one former NFL executive who spoke to NFL Analysis Network, is as big of a reason as any that they see the Jets going on a run. Even without Rodgers in the lineup, confidence has been restored in the team with Wilson no longer looking like the worst quarterback in the NFL.
“I’ve seen enough to say this. I think the Jets will still make the playoffs with Zach Wilson leading the way. I also think Aaron Rodgers will return late in the season and this team could make a playoff run.”
In addition to Wilson’s improvement under center, the Jets have survived their gauntlet of a schedule and things open a bit schedule-wise from here on out. After the bye, they have the MetLife Bowl against the New York Giants before hosting the Los Angeles Chargers.
A few tough matchups remain, but if Wilson can continue performing at the level that he has the last three weeks, and the defense remains a dominant unit, the Jets are going to be winning a lot of football games. Their ceiling certainly isn’t as high without Rodgers in the fold, but if he miraculously returns to the lineup at some point, he would provide the team with a huge boost.
