Appearing on ESPN’s “First Take,” Stephen A. Smith gave his reasons for why he is not sold on the New York Jets in 2024
Count ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith as someone not sold on the New York Jets heading into the 2024 season.
Appearing on ESPN’s “First Take,” prominent and popular sports analyst Stephen A. Smith gave his thoughts on why he has tempered expectations for New York next season.
“Do they have the pieces to go all the way? I’m not so sure. I’m not going to say definitively yes. One of the reasons is that we don’t know if [Tyron] Smith is going to be healthy, like you said, when it really counts. We don’t know if Aaron Rodgers is going to be healthy. We don’t know these things.”
Additionally, Smith spoke about his worry with Jets’ offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
“Are you not concerned that the personnel from a coaching perspective that is shaping the framework for this offense is not going to be up to snuff against opposing head coaches and defensive coordinators plotting against them?” said Smith.
.@stephenasmith is NOT sold on the #Jets heading into the 2024 season…
‘Do they have the pieces to go all the way? … I’m not so sure. I’m not going to say definitively yes.
One of the reasons is because we don’t know if [Tyron] Smith is going to be healthy like you said when… pic.twitter.com/U8QWa4PVC2
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) March 23, 2024
While Smith is not a football expert by any means, his points encapsulate how the Jets are currently viewed nationally.
After a year in which they failed to meet expectations for various reasons, few people expect the Jets to be real contenders. They are skeptical of the decision-makers and the roster’s ability to perform at a high level.
Ultimately, the Jets can only change the narrative by winning on the field. Winning more games can mask underlying issues and begin to change the perception of what the Jets are seen as
If the Jets can capitalize on the moves they have made this offseason, they have a chance to have a successful season, proving doubters like Smith and the overall narrative surrounding the team wrong.
The National view on the Jets is the same lazy stories over and over. I was watching Around the Horn the other day and one of the reporters said he was concerned about who was going to protect Rogers. Saying, Smith isn’t enough due to his injuries and he had questions. Clearly he had NO idea about the other additions. It’s a joke. The Jets reporting is a joke. I wish I had a job where I could talk out of my a**, not having any facts, never be held accountable and everybody believed what I said was right. The only two places you can do that are ESPNquirer or political office.
The other additions the Jets have made are not relevant to the question of whether they can protect Rodgers’ blindside. I won’t be convinced the Jets are going anywhere either until they at least draft or sign another credible LT to back up Smith.