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Jets Connected to 10 of Sports Illustrated's '12 Biggest NFL Stories Remaining This Summer'
The New York Jets are as relevant as ever across the National Football League.
Take the latest list of league-wide questions posed by Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer as proof. The senior SI scribe published a "list of the dozen things we’ll all be talking about when I get back from my three weeks of summer vacation," and 10 of the 12 items can be directly, or indirectly, connected to Gang Green.
The Jets will continue to be in the national conversation throughout the 2023 season. It's the result of the team's talent level combined with the presence of superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the New York media market.
Onto Breer's 12-topic list...
The lone two items not relatable to the Jets are The Commanders sale and Tank you very much. As for the other 10, here's why they are relevant for the Green & White.
Gang Green defensive tackle Quinnen Williams appeared by name under the top-slotted talking point, which highlighted the mega compensation elite players are receiving in new contracts.
The Jets were not specifically mentioned in the second topic on the list, but they are relevant to the running back conversation in the sense that they haven't committed significant dollars to a big-name free agent ball carrier like Dalvin Cook or Ezekiel Elliott (yet). They are banking on an impressive recovery by Breece Hall and a supporting cast that includes 2023 fifth-round draft pick Israel Abanikanda.
Next, Breer highlighted free agents DeAndre Hopkins and Dalvin Cook. It's no secret that Gang Green has had rumored interest in the two Pro Bowl playmakers at some level.
The health of Tua Tagovailoa is a point of discussion worth following. The Jets did not see the southpaw quarterback in either of last year's two meetings with the AFC East rival Miami Dolphins.
At first glance, it may not seem that the Brock Purdy injury issue has any pertinence to Gang Green, but one possible temporary replacement for the San Francisco 49ers' quarterback is Sam Darnold.
The continued development of the Jacksonville Jaguars could mean an even more competitive AFC landscape. Although the Jets do not face the Jags in a head-to-head regular season matchup, the two teams could be amongst those battling for playoff seeding.
The next topic focus around the strength of the AFC and the wealth of quarterback talent, which received a boost from Rodgers's arrival, throughout the conference.
Breer proceeded to take a closer look at two of the high-profile AFC quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson with the next two questions on the list. The Jets will face Wilson and the Broncos on the road in Week 5 with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett returning to his former place of employment. Gang Green will visit Watson and the Browns on Thursday Night Football in Week 17.
The final talking point addressed any perceived dysfunction with the Buffalo Bills, who are standing in the Jets way atop the AFC East.
Excerpts from Albert Breer's "The 12 Biggest NFL Stories Remaining This Summer" (items pertinent to Jets):
The monster, market-moving money to be committed.
"... And my guess would be that, should they do extensions, Jets DT Quinnen Williams, Panthers OLB Brian Burns, Bengals WR Tee Higgins, Packers OLB Rashan Gary, Chiefs DT Chris Jones, Commanders DE Montez Sweat, Dolphins DT Christian Wilkins and Colts RB Jonathan Taylor should all be within shouting distance of highest paid at their positions (though Aaron Donald did set the bar high for defensive tackles) ...."
A referendum on running backs.
"The tailback market has, to put it bluntly, sucked this offseason. ..."
DeAndre Hopkins’s and Dalvin Cook’s availability.
"Neither has been in any rush to sign, and there’s merit, for both, in the idea of waiting. ..."
Tua Tagovailoa and concussions.
"... So how Tagovailoa, tagged as injury-prone before all this, holds up will be a very big story this summer, and one that, as it did last year, crosses over outside the traditional sports media."
How’s Brock Purdy’s elbow?
"... But how he throws it this year, and how losing the offseason between Year 1 and Year 2 affects him, remains to be seen, and making this situation all the more intriguing is that Purdy has a couple of pretty interesting backups, in Sam Darnold and Trey Lance. Stay tuned on this one."
Are the Jaguars primed to make the leap?
"... Which means a promising young team is facing a different challenge, in big expectations, than it was during last year’s rehab effort. ...."
The relative strength of the AFC is bananas.
"Here’s a list of quarterbacks: Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Aaron Rodgers, Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson, Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, Russell Wilson. At least two of those guys won’t make the playoffs, and we didn’t even get into guys such as Jimmy Garoppolo, Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones and Kenny Pickett. ...."
Deshaun Watson’s first full season since 2020.
"Presuming he stays healthy, we’re getting that this fall, and it’ll be interesting to see where it goes. ...."
The redemption of Russell Wilson … maybe.
"It’s hard to imagine public perception shifting more on a player than it has on Wilson over the past 12 months. ... It’s not Wilson’s show anymore. It’s Sean Payton’s. So buckle up for this one. Could be, to borrow a phrase, a wild ride."
Are the Bills on the same page?
" ... I think Buffalo’s still one of the NFL’s best teams, and surely one of its best operations, and if I had to bet, that will shine through after a tumultuous year or so for Western New York’s team."
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