4 players the NY Jets can't afford to lose to injury in 2024

The 2024 season has often been referred to as an "all-in season" for the NY Jets. With general manager Joe Douglas in year five and head coach Robert Saleh in year entering year four the excuses have run out.

Owner Woody Johnson's patience has worn thin and the fan base has been starved by the longest active playoff drought in professional sports. Point blank, people are tired of watching the team miss the playoffs every season since 2010.

The good news is that on paper, the roster assembled is one of the best in the NFL. The Jets have star power, they have depth, and they have promising young players waiting to break out.

All that said, the depth is not the same at every position, nor is the importance of every position created equally. In some cases, the drop-off from the starter to his backup may be dramatic. Injuries are a part of life in the NFL, but injuries to key players at key positions can be a death sentence to a team's championship aspirations.

Here will dive in and look at four players the Jets absolutely can not afford to lose to an extended injury in 2024.

1. Aaron Rodgers, QB, NY Jets

The most obvious on the list, the Jets lost their franchise savior to a torn Achilles a mere four plays into the 2023 season. A season that began with renewed hope and optimism that the fanbase hasn't felt since at least 2010 dissipated almost immediately.

The football Gods played a cruel joke yet again on the green and white faithful. After 2022, it became clear that the roster was just a QB away from serious contender status, and with a blink of an eye, hopes were dashed as former number two overall pick and epic draft bust Zach Wilson took the field in place of the injured Aaron Rodgers.

The Jets vowed to be more prepared this time. They signed veteran backup Tyrod Taylor to be Rodgers' caddy. Taylor no doubt is a quality backup capable of holding down the fort and stringing together wins for a couple of weeks.

However, if he's pressed into starting action for more than that, problems begin to brew. Taylor's had his starting opportunities in the past, and the league has decided that he's not a starting QB. That's not a knock, finding a starting-caliber QB is one of the hardest things to do in the NFL, but it's true that he's best suited as a backup.

Meanwhile, Rodgers is a Hall of Fame quarterback, one of the best of his generation, and a four-time MVP. He's led the league in touchdown percentage four times and had the lowest interception percentage in the league six times, highlighting his stunning play-making ability and remarkable efficiency.

The man is a QB savant and will go down as one of the absolute best ever to sling the rock in the history of the NFL. He is, by far, the most important player on the team and he must stay healthy in order for the Jets to have any hope of achieving their 2024 goals.