Sports Illustrated Writer Grounds Expectations for Jets in 2023
Not everyone is buying the Aaron Rodgers hype.
Acquiring a four-time NFL MVP to stabilize the quarterback position, the New York Jets, who own the longest postseason drought in North American professional sports, instantly injected themselves into the playoffs conversation.
Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano, however, sees it differently and suggests Gang Green will succumb to fierce competition.
While tackling the topic of "what we learned about all 32 teams this offseason," the SI scribe provided a somewhat grim outlook for the Green & White.
From "2023 NFL Offseason: What We Learned About All 32 Teams":
New York Jets
- What we learned: Aaron Rodgers’s arrival won’t get the Jets far.
The Jets will be in the mix with Rodgers and a talented young roster, but they have a daunting road to making it to the Super Bowl or even winning the AFC East, a stacked division with the Bills, Dolphins and Patriots. The Rodgers-led Jets also have to compete with the Chiefs, Bengals, Ravens, Jaguars and Chargers in the conference.
— Gilberto Manzano
Meanwhile, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky, a former NFL quarterback, labeled the Jets as "unquestioned Super Bowl contenders " during a June 23 appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
"The Bills and the Jets are unquestioned Super Bowl contenders," said Orlovsky. "The quarterback talent that they have, the skill talent that they have, the defense that both have."
The oddsmakers have placed the Jets amongst the eight teams most likely to win the Super Bowl and head coach Robert Saleh would likely agree with that assessment.
"I think 32 coaches stand in front of their team every year and talk about winning a championship. Realistically, there’s maybe six to eight teams that have an actual chance to do it, and I do think we are one of those teams," said Saleh during OTAs.
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