5 biggest takeaways from NY Jets 2023 preseason

As cut day has come and gone, the NY Jets preseason has officially come to a close. As the Jets make their final roster decisions on who to keep and who to let go, the team will begin preparing for their opening day game against the Buffalo Bills on September 11.

The Jets showed a lot in the preseason and have truly made a series of moves toward becoming Super Bowl contenders. When expectations are that high, though, they can be tough to live up to, especially under the bright lights of New York.

In this article, I look at five important takeaways from the Jets preseason and offseason, focusing especially on their growth at important positions and areas of need.

1. The NY Jets are healthy!

The most important takeaway of the preseason is that after four games, including the extra Hall of Fame game, plus a few days of joint practices, the Jets are a healthy football team with no major injury concerns.

In years past, this has been an area of concern for the Jets. Going all the way back to when Ik Enemkpali famously punched Geno Smith, breaking his jaw and ushering in the brief era of Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Jets have been injury-bug prone.

Last season, Zach Wilson injured his knee while scrambling during the preseason, sidelining him for the first four games during his important second season. The year before that, prized offseason acquisition Carl Lawson tore his Achilles during practice and still hasn't fully recovered.

The fact that no impact players suffered a serious injury during the preseason is ultra important, as the Jets will enter week one healthy against the Bills. Of course, some players have missed some time for various reasons, but none appear to enter the year injured.

When the first six games of the season are as difficult as the Jets' schedule, being healthy is critical to getting off to a good start. Breece Hall is working his way back and is ahead of schedule, Mekhi Becton and Duane Brown appear set to start week one without limitations, and, of course, Aaron Rodgers will be behind center come Week 1.

Remaining healthy throughout the season will be a key determinant in the Jets' success this season, and avoiding any major issues this preseason was the most important thing for the Jets.