The New York Jets have a lot of things going for them on paper ahead of the 2024 NFL season, but one number may work more to their benefit than detriment on the campaign.
That number happens to be 34. That’s the combined years of experience that Jets starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers and backup Tyrod Taylor bring to the franchise. As Taylor put it in a recent interview with Steve Serby of the New York Post, that level of seasoning in the professional ranks could be a driving force in the Jets’ path toward a potential division crown and hopeful Super Bowl win in 2024:
“We talk about it all the time: We don’t think there’s any quarterback room that’s ever had 34 years of experience between two guys. So there’s a lot of stories that we could tell, and there’s a lot of laughter. But at the end of the day, it’s about us going out and bringing our “A” game day in and day out. Obviously a team feeds off morale of the quarterback room, and we continue to keep pushing our game to a higher level,” Taylor said.
Jets need strong backup play behind QB Aaron Rodgers despite his illustrious resume
The Jets will be welcoming Rodgers, 40, back from a torn Achilles which prematurely ended his 2023 season after just four snaps on the field. Rodgers’ 19 prior years of experience in the NFL includes four NFL MVPs, one trip to the Super Bowl and an ensuing victory in 2010, and a myriad of accomplishments including him twice leading the league in passing touchdowns in 2016 and 2020.
Though the word is out on how good Rodgers still is at his advanced age, having not been seen in full since 2022 and coming off of a major injury, the Jets are still forecasted by in large to win anywhere from 11-14 games next season. Albeit, there is the risk of the 10-time Pro Bowler going down with an injury, no matter how strong the offensive line is heading into the next campaign.
Jets backup Tyrod Taylor still played like a starting-caliber QB in 2023 for the Giants
Thus, Taylor’s presence behind the California native gives the Jets a reliable option who proved he still had it when his number was called by the New York Giants in 2023. After Giants starting quarterback Daniel Jones went down with a torn ACL in Week 9, Taylor stepped in and went 2-3 in five starts for the Giants. The 13-year veteran finished the year with a respectable 64.4 percent completion percentage alongside 1,341 passing yards and a 5-3 TD-INT ratio. He maintained his status as a viable dual-threat playmaker, allocating 197 yards on the ground and 10 rushing first downs.
Last year, the Jets experienced peaks and valleys with their backup quarterback room filling Rodgers’ shoes. Zach Wilson had his moments, including an AFC Offensive Player of the Week award for Week 14, but he, nor Tim Boyle nor Trevor Siemian instilled enough confidence in Jets head coach Robert Saleh to remain on the roster as trusted options, thus leading to the overhaul at the position this offseason.
- The Jets have three paths forward to fix their franchise
- Rumor: Jets owner’s meddling reaches shocking levels
- Jets fire controversial general manager as season spirals into the abyss
Jets’ QBs have considerable experience advantage in the AFC East
Across the rest of the AFC East, neither Josh Allen and Mitchell Trubisky of the Bills (13 years), nor Tua Tagovailoa and Mike White of the Miami Dolphins (seven years) nor Jacoby Brissett and rookie Drake Maye of the New England Patriots (eight years) have even half the years of experience as QB 1 and QB 2 tandems that Rodgers and Taylor do.
Of course, talent supersedes years played, but should difficulties and injuries arise throughout the year, the Jets can count on having a polished veteran behind Rodgers who can spell well for him for a short or long period of time and even deliver come playoff time if circumstances call for it.
