Every season since 1990, the year the NFL playoffs expanded to 12 teams, there have been at least four teams to reach the postseason after missing out the season before. For the 2023 season, such teams included the Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers. Could the New York Jets be one of those teams in 2024? Folks at NFL Network seem to think so.
Recently, the network had a roundtable of analysts discuss teams that missed the playoffs in 2023 that have the best chance to qualify in 2024. Of the three teams they mentioned, the Jets made the list.
Among the reasons the group believes in the Jets’ chances are the return of quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the insurance they created along the offensive line this offseason with the additions of Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses before the draft and Olu Fashanu in the first round of the draft.
NFL Network also mentioned how the Jets almost made the playoffs if not for the slew of injuries they incurred during the season. New York ended up three games out of a playoff spot — the Jets finished 7-10 while the Steelers were the last team in at 10-7.
The other teams in this group were the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Chargers.
New York is trying to end a 13-season playoff drought, longest in the NFL and tied for the longest across the four major North American sports with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres.
