Embarrassing Pro Football Talk ranking is proof of anti-NY Jets bias

The NY Jets have long been the laughingstock and punching bag for NFL media. Even with the organization seemingly on the upswing on the verge of potentially competing for a Super Bowl, that fact hasn't changed.

One such individual who has let his hatred for the Jets be known over the years is Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Jets' addition of Aaron Rodgers has only fueled the Jets hate bandwagon from Florio and his media outlet.

That obvious bias was on full display when Pro Football Talk released its pre-training camp NFL power rankings on Monday. Despite pretty much every outlet unanimously agreeing that the Jets are currently a top-10 team in the NFL, Florio has...different thoughts.

No, Florio did not rank the Jets as a top-10 team. He didn't rank them in the top 15, either. He didn't even rank them in the top 20. Instead, Florio has the Jets as the 25th-best team in the entire NFL, one spot behind the New Orleans Saints and one spot ahead of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Notable teams ranked ahead of the Jets include the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, and Pittsburgh Steelers. In other words, most of the NFL.

The anti-NY Jets and anti-Aaron Rodgers bias has never been stronger

It's easy to see why some individuals dislike this current Jets team. More specifically, it's easy to see why they dislike their quarterback. Rodgers is as contentious and divided as any player in the NFL. His off-field comments and antics regularly draw the ire of those who watch and cover the league.

It's completely fair and valid to criticize Rodgers (or any player for that matter) for their antics or comments. But when you let those personal criticisms affect the way you cover and discuss that player's team, that's when an issue arises.

Power rankings are inherently opinion-based, of course. You can make a reasonable argument that the Jets aren't a top-10 team based solely on the uncertainty surrounding the franchise.

What will a 40-year-old Aaron Rodgers coming off a torn Achilles look like in 2024? Will the Jets' offensive line stay healthy? Will the Jets be able to overcome their poor offensive coaching staff?

There are genuine concerns about this Jets team, but it's impossible to make a valid argument that the Jets are the 25th-best team in the NFL. This is the same Jets team that went 7-10 with a combination of Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian, and Tim Boyle at quarterback last season.

For them to be the eighth-worst team in the NFL, they would need to lose at least one or two more games in 2024 with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. And even if you doubt Rodgers' health, there's no denying that Tyrod Taylor is a significant upgrade over any QB on the roster last season.

That's ignoring the offensive line upgrades (not to mention countless offensive line injuries from a year ago) and the other improvements around the roster. There's no reason to predict this Jets team should win five or six games in 2024 — but that's seemingly exactly what Florio is doing.

Is that opinion based solely on the on-field product? The simple answer is...no, it can't be. Either Florio and Pro Football Talk are blatantly biased against Rodgers and the Jets or they somehow believe Rodgers will produce worse results than Zach Wilson.

Just your daily reminder not to take every media outlet seriously. There are some out there with an obvious axe to grind, especially when it comes to Rodgers and the Jets.