5 former NY Jets we’d like to see return in 2024

4. The NY Jets could sign Sam Darnold

A much more high-profile reunion for the Jets could come in the form of former No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold. The Jets will be looking for a capable backup quarterback this offseason, and Darnold could fill that hole.

The USC product spent last season as Brock Purdy's backup in San Francisco after a failed two-year stint with the Carolina Panthers. There have been rumblings that Darnold could receive starting consideration this offseason, but the safe bet is to assume he retains a backup job.

Ignoring their history for a second, the Jets make sense as a landing spot for Darnold. Aaron Rodgers' injury history is a genuine concern, and there's a clear path to playing time in New York if the four-time MVP misses time again in 2024.

Darnold might have more appealing offers, and the Jets might have more appealing targets, but there's a world in which these two reunite in the offseason. It's more possible than some might think.

3. The NY Jets could sign Greg Van Roten

Greg Van Roten was not a particularly good starting guard during his time with the Jets. The Long Island native spent two seasons with the organization from 2020-2021 and was benched in favor of veteran Laurent Duvernay-Tardif in his final season with the team.

Some guys are just late bloomers, though, and that's what Van Roten set out to prove after leaving the Jets. Following a nondescript season in Buffalo, primarily as a backup, Van Roten started all 17 games for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023 — and he was genuinely one of the better guards in football.

Van Roten finished with a Pro Football Focus grade of 75.3, which ranked seventh among all qualified guards in the NFL. It was easily the best season of his career, and it miraculously came in his age 33 season.

Van Roten shouldn't be a top target for the Jets, but given that the team will likely sign multiple offensive linemen in free agency, bringing Van Roten back on a cheap-ish deal makes some sense. Forget everything that happened with the Jets — he was legitimately good last year.