The New York Jets are in the middle of a transformative offseason. The team is seemingly on the verge of acquiring future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers in a trade with the Green Bay Packers. Naturally, a move of this magnitude has shifted the view of the Jets from a former division bottom dweller into a bona fide playoff contender and sleeper Super Bowl threat.
Of course, the trade actually needs to go down to truly look at New York in this new light, but the betting markets do appear to be getting ahead of things just a tad. This week, Caesars Sportsbook released its 2023 NFL win totals for each team. As it relates to the Jets, they are currently listed at 9.5 wins (Over -135, Under +115).
Below, we'll dive a bit more into New York's prospects for potentially going over this total while also chronicling the club's offseason and where it stacked up in the standings in recent seasons.
| Year | Record | Finish in division | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
2022 | 7-10 | 4th | Did not qualify |
2021 | 4-13 | 4th | Did not qualify |
2020 | 2-14 | 4th | Did not qualify |
2019 | 7-9 | 3rd | Did not qualify |
2018 | 4-12 | 4th | Did not quality |
As you can see, the Jets haven't been the most competitive club in recent years. In fact, they currently own the longest playoff drought in the NFL, not reaching the postseason since the 2010 campaign. Meanwhile, the last time New York went over this 9.5 win total came back in 2015 when they went 10-5.
Notable offseason acquisitions, departures
| Acquisitions | Departures |
|---|---|
QB Aaron Rodgers (pending trade) | |
| WR Allen Lazard | IDL Sheldon Rankins |
| WR Mecole Hardman | WR Elijah Moore |
| S Chuck Clark | QB Mike White |
| RB James Robinson |
Of course, the looming arrival of Aaron Rodgers is taking over the Jets' offseason. The quarterback position is what prevented them from reaching the playoffs last year, so by adding one of Rodgers' caliber should have them in contention. Elsewhere, the Jets have also revamped the wide receiver room, pairing Offensive Rookie of the Year in Garrett Wilson with Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman. The Jets have also been linked to free agent Odell Beckham Jr., so even more talent could be entering this position group.
2023 opponents
| Home | Away |
|---|---|
| Houston Texans | Buffalo Bills |
| Buffalo Bills | Miami Dolphins |
| Miami Dolphins | New England Patriots |
| New England Patriots | ------------------- |
The road isn't exactly a favorable one for the Jets in 2023 as they currently have the sixth-toughest schedule in the NFL when it comes to opponents' combined win percentage from a season ago. That's largely because they are slated to play the NFC East and AFC West, which are two of the toughest divisions in the NFL. Because they finished last in the division in 2022, the Jets will have some layup games like the Texans and Falcons, but this won't be an easy schedule.
Prediction
It's worth pointing out that placing a wager at this point in the year is a bit unwise as anything could happen between now and Week 1. Also, Rodgers isn't even a member of the Jets yet and who knows if this saga has one more crazy swing in it. That said, under the presumption that Rodgers does find his way to New York, the Jets will be a competitive team with a talented defense and far better play under center. Once Rodgers is traded, it also wouldn't be too surprising to see this 9.5 win total jump up to 10.5, which is where things could get a bit dicey. As it stands, they should be looking at roughly 11 wins when factoring in a tough schedule with the potential to do damage if/when they reach the postseason.
Final 2023 record prediction: 11-6
