4 moves NY Jets must make to reach next year's Super Bowl

The entire NY Jets regime is on the hot seat entering the 2024 season. When the Jets made the decision to trade for Aaron Rodgers last offseason, they did so with the expectation that they'd be competing for a Super Bowl with him leading the way.

Injuries prevented that from happening in 2023, but the excuses will be limited this year. The Jets must capitalize on their small Super Bowl window and compete for a championship next season.

Unfortunately, the return of Rodgers doesn't solve everything. The Jets have a host of roster holes entering the offseason that the team must address if they're to maximize their potential in 2024.

Let's take a look at four moves the Jets must make if they're to reach the Super Bowl next season.

4. The NY Jets must develop an offensive identity

The Jets' offensive coaching was, quite frankly, an unmitigated disaster in 2023. In their defense, Nathaniel Hackett and company deserve some slack for having to rebuild their entire offense after the Rodgers injury.

Hackett and the Jets constructed an offense around Rodgers throughout the summer, only for that plan to be thrown away after just four plays. Still, that's not an excuse for the disgusting display of offensive football we saw last season.

The Jets had no offensive identity. Part of that is on the inept quarterback play the team received. Part of that is on a slew of offensive line injuries and a lackluster skill position group. But part of that is absolutely on the coaching staff.

With Rodgers returning in 2024, the Jets need to once again build their offense around the four-time MVP. If that means Hackett takes a backseat role to his favorite quarterback, then so be it.

3. The NY Jets must sign a reliable backup QB

The Jets made the mistake of relying on Zach Wilson to be their primary backup quarterback in 2023. The plan was for Wilson to sit behind and learn from Aaron Rodgers in what was expected to be a redshirt year for the former No. 2 overall pick.

It's not exactly wise, however, to plan a so-called redshirt year for your top backup QB. The Jets may not have been able to overcome losing Rodgers for the entire season, but even if the former All-Pro quarterback was forced to miss only a handful of games, the team needed a more reliable backup.

Wilson, to that point, had been one of the worst quarterbacks in modern NFL history, at least from a statistical standpoint. His only competition, Tim Boyle, might not even be a CFL-level quarterback.

The Jets seemed to think that was a proper backup quarterback plan going into the season, and it obviously cost them. The plan this time around appears to be different.

Jets general manager Joe Douglas has strongly suggested that he plans to be active in pursuit of a veteran backup quarterback this offseason. Team owner Woody Johnson cosigned that plan when speaking at NFL Honors on Thursday.

SNY's Connor Hughes has speculated that the Jets could spend as much as $10 million annually on a backup quarterback this spring. The writing is on the wall — the Jets learned from their mistake.

Expect the team to target names like Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, and Ryan Tannehill this offseason. The Jets must have a reliable insurance plan at quarterback.

2. The NY Jets must upgrade their wide receiver corps

The Jets could not have messed up the wide receiver position more if they tried last offseason. Sure, there was some bad luck. Corey Davis' retirement was a significant blow to the team's wide receiver depth, and it came at an unfortunate time.

Everything else, however, was a disaster. The Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman signings were complete flops. The team prioritized Odell Beckham Jr. over DeAndre Hopkins. The Jets didn't have a single first-round grade on a wide receiver in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The results of Joe Douglas' wide receiver plan weren't pretty. Garrett Wilson was still Garrett Wilson, but the rest of the team's wide receiver room was likely the worst in football.

Randall Cobb and a host of undrafted free agents ended up receiving the majority of wide receiver snaps opposite Wilson as the year went on. It became abundantly clear that the Jets had a major problem with no clear fix on the roster.

The Jets will have the opportunity to amend their mistake this offseason, with a number of high-profile wide receivers potentially available. While a Davante Adams trade seems unlikely at this stage, players like Calvin Ridley or Mike Evans could be targets if they hit the open market.

The team could also upgrade the position group in the NFL Draft. Even if the Jets don't draft a wide receiver in the first round, it would make sense to address the position at some point in late April.

The Jets aren't going to compete for a Super Bowl with Randall Cobb and Jason Brownlee seeing significant playing time at wide receiver. They must make multiple additions this offseason.

1. The NY Jets must fix their offensive line

It all starts with the offensive line. While it's fair to question the Jets' offensive line plan entering the 2023 season, it's impossible to overlook how unlucky the team got.

The Jets were forced to start a whopping 13 different offensive line combinations in 17 games as a result of a seemingly neverending slew of injuries.

The likes of Alijah Vera-Tucker, Joe Tippmann, Connor McGovern, Mekhi Becton, Duane Brown, Wes Schweitzer, Billy Turner, and Carter Warren all missed time due to injury. The Jets were starting players who had been signed from other teams' practice squads just days earlier.

So for as bad as the Jets' offensive line was in 2023, not all of it was the team's fault. Some of it definitely was, though.

Relying on a 38-year-old Brown coming off major shoulder surgery to be the full-time starting left tackle was never smart. Becton and Laken Tomlinson were the only two starters to play most of the season, and both players were among the worst at their respective positions. That's not injury luck.

The Jets have their work cut out for them this offseason, as they'll realistically be looking for at least two new starters along the offensive line. They'll also be relying on Vera-Tucker, who has missed large portions of the last two seasons with injuries.

Regardless, the Jets need to figure out a way to fix their offensive line this offseason. This team isn't going to go far unless they find a way to bolster their trenches and keep Aaron Rodgers upright. This must be the Jets' top priority.