Being a Jets fan is rarely easy. A season of significant promise went up in flames after only four short and infamous snaps by future Hall-of-Fame Quarterback Aaron Rodgers. This left two recent failures — Nathaniel Hackett and Zach Wilson — responsible for manning an offense that needed to be at least slightly below average for the Jets to be competitive. They could not even muster basic competence, garnering one of the worst offensive seasons in NFL history according to some metrics and once going 13 straight quarters without scoring an offensive touchdown. Their star-studded defense was the team’s saving grace (or greatest detriment according to fans of tanking), but they could not will the team to success. As Troy Aikman aptly put it, “The Jets are a bad team with a great defense.” Despite this disappointment, calls for regime change were unheeded by Jets Owner Woody Johnson, who gave Head Coach Robert Saleh and General Manager Joe Douglas his blessing to return for 2024 midway through the 2023 season. Notably, this blessing came after Aaron Rodgers’s appraisal of both on the Pat McAfee show, a possible coincidence but more likely a concession. With all this consistency after a season of mediocrity, what is there for Jets fans to be excited about?

One of the largest misconceptions about the 2023 Jets was the notion that they somehow “won the offseason,” a title traditionally given to teams that grab the attention of fans and media after exciting player acquisitions. The Jets got a four-time MVP in Aaron Rodgers, but almost nobody else. Their only other notable free agent signing was infamous foot-fairy Allen Lazard, and they spent their first-round draft pick on a rotational pass rusher in Will McDonald IV — a player with exciting potential but lacking the size to be an every-down lineman. Protecting Aaron Rodgers became the responsibility of old man Tackle Duane Brown, who, of course, was injured by week three, the overpaid Guard Laken Tomlinson, who, of course, was not as good when not playing next to Trent Williams, and Tackle Mekhi Becton, who had missed the last two seasons with injuries, among others. None of this is to say that the Jets would not have been better with Aaron Rodgers, but it is clear that their offense needed significant work.

Joe Douglas has put in that work this offseason. For the offensive line, he signed Tyron Smith, an All-Pro offensive tackle, for a one-year, incentive-laden contract with only $6.5 million guaranteed and traded for Morgan Moses, who has been a solid starter for the Baltimore Ravens since the Jets let him go in free agency two years ago, for only a 6th round pick and a 4th round pick swap. Although both players are 33 years old, they are on short-term contracts that fit with the Jets’ win-now window, and at least Moses does not have a significant history of injuries. In addition to these solid starters, Douglas took a shot at Guard John Simpson, a player who struggled with penalties last year but is a mauler in the run game and has the potential to be a solid starter. Along with last year’s 2nd-round pick, Center Joe Tippman, and versatile Guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, an offensive line with Simpson as its weakest link has the chance to be special.

Douglas has also taken a stab at providing more weapons for Aaron Rodgers by signing Wide Receiver Mike Williams, a contest catch demon and downfield threat. Although Williams tore his ACL early last year and is projected to miss most of training camp, the upside of this signing is exciting. Running Back Breece Hall and Wide Receiver Garrett Wilson are superstars at their positions, but nobody besides their fantasy owners wants them to receive every touch and target for the sake of their longevity. Of course, the Jets still need another receiver and depth at the offensive line to avoid a situation where Allen Lazard and last year’s 4th-round pick at offensive tackle, Carter Warren, become starters by week three, but this is where the draft and early-summer free agent signings come into play.

While work is still needed on the defensive side, especially at safety, this coaching staff has proven its ability to develop talent, such as 2023 all-pro Linebacker Quincy Williams and 2022 1st-round pick Defensive End Jermaine Johnson. Additionally, Douglas recently addressed a potential hole at pass rusher — brought about by their abysmal management of pass rusher Bryce Huff’s contract situation, leading him to leave for the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency — through a trade with the Eagles for Haason Reddick, a pass rusher who has had over ten sacks every year since 2020, for only a 2026 3rd-round pick that can become a second. With Reddick and Defensive Tackle Quinnen Williams leading the Jets’ defensive line, along with the cerberus of cornerbacks Sauce Gardner, D.J. Reed and Michael Carter II holding down the back end, their pass rush should be able to dominate their opponents.

One of the best parts about this active offseason by Joe Douglas is the flexibility it gives the Jets in the draft. Instead of being forced to draft a player with the intention of immediately starting him, they can let the board come to them and pick the best available player at an important position. Georgia Tight End Brock Bowers would certainly be an exciting spark to the offense, but drafting a receiver like Washington’s Rome Odunze or a tackle like Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga provides great depth at positions where starters are likely to miss time if injury history provides any information. They could also trade down in the first round and recoup a second-round pick, which they lost in the trade for Aaron Rodgers. None of these options are guaranteed but the fact that the Jets have options increases the chances that Joe Douglas will pick the right player instead of feeling forced to pick a lesser player to fill a significant need.

Furthermore, there is no clear juggernaut in the AFC East. The Buffalo Bills went on a fire sale this offseason to get out of salary cap hell, most recently trading Wide Receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans. Despite losing star Defensive Tackle Christian Wilkins to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Miami Dolphins remain a strong team, but should not scare anyone after choking away the division title last season. The New England Patriots have almost no significant playmakers on either side of the ball. If the Jets remain largely healthy, they should be in play to win their first division title since 2002.

Projecting a team’s record this early in the offseason is impossible due to the potential for injuries and improvements made through the draft. But Jets fans should feel cautiously optimistic that the team can win a lot of games this year based on the attitude with which Douglas has approached free agency. In the end, it will likely come down to Aaron Rodgers; if he can stay healthy and play at the high level he achieved earlier in his career, the Jets could win the AFC. If not, they will likely remain hovered around .500, even with a more competent backup Quarterback in Tyrod Taylor.