ESPN Says New York Jets 'Will Win' Super Bowl This Season

There is a lot of positivity surrounding the New York Jets right now and that is evident by a prominent ESPN writer predicting they will hoist the Lombardi trophy this year.

Dec 3, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Every team around the NFL is confident right now following their offseason moves and subsequent draft additions, but perhaps, there is no team more confident in what they are putting on the field than the New York Jets.

With Aaron Rodgers back under center, they should have a legitimate offense to pair with their elite defense who has dominated teams despite being placed in adverse situations.

The Jets were a trendy pick last season after their acquisition of the superstar quarterback, but after an Achilles tear four snaps into the year, no one could really see what they were capable of accomplishing.

Without a competent backup situation, New York finished with a disappointing 7-10 record.

The only positive that came from this was their ability to hold a Top 10 draft pick they were able to use to trade back and gain additional assets before taking Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu at 11 to boost their offensive line.

That came on the heels of them adding two other bookend tackles in the offseason to give Rodgers more time to operate and their running game better lanes to run through.

So, it comes as no surprise the Jets are trendy picks again to find success in 2024.

But, what might be surprising is Mike Clay of ESPN predicting they will win the Super Bowl.

He lays out a bunch of different reasons, starting with their incredible defense who should still be elite under the guide of Robert Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, which returns eight of its nine top participants in snap count. They also added Haason Reddick to mitigate the loss of Bryce Huff and expect second-year player Will McDonald IV to take the next step in his career.

And while it's great Rodgers is back, he points out the improved supporting cast around Garrett Wilson is a major positive heading into the season after the additions of Mike Williams and Malachi Corley.

What might be the biggest benefit for New York is the question marks within their division as the Miami Dolphins lost many of their impact players due to salary cap restraints and the dominant Buffalo Bills seemed to have taken a step back on paper because of their own losses.

"An honest, objective comparison of the three teams reveals that the Jets have built arguably the best roster in the division," he writes.

That should help them wrack up enough wins to get into the playoffs with the opportunity of winning the AFC East for the first time since 2002.

Of course, all that is on the optimistic side of things.

Rodgers not only has to stay healthy, but he has to still be one of the best quarterbacks in the league coming off a major injury and being 40 years old. The defense has to stay elite and the weapons have to prove they can get open and be productive outside of Wilson.

Oh, and the Jets actually have to have a competent offensive line for once.

Still, Clay is viewing things through the positive lens and thinks they will reach their potential.

"... things change quickly in the NFL, and this roster is built to compete for a title right now. If the Jets stay relatively healthy and Rodgers is something close to his old self, you can plan on hearing "J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS" chants echoing through New Orleans in February," he predicts.

That would certainly be something.

It's up to the players and coaching staff to make it happen.