How is the regular season not here yet?
As of this writing, it’s been 195 days since the New York Jets last played a football game, which is a normal amount of time between the regular season finale and July 20. And, last time I checked, the Earth is rotating on its axis and orbiting around the sun at the same speeds it has been for the last few million centuries.
But, man, it sure does feel like it’s been a lot longer than 195 days since the Jets played football. Am I alone in this?
Every NFL offseason starts to feel sluggish after the draft. After all, for teams who miss the playoffs, the offseason is a seven-month hiatus, and the two post-draft months feature no major events – unless you want to include a handful of OTA and minicamp practices (apparently these are only major if Aaron Rodgers isn’t there).
For me, though, this year’s Jets offseason has felt longer than any other I’ve experienced. It feels like I’ve waited long enough for the regular season finale to be coming up next week, but somehow, we’re only just now getting to training camp? What?
Tyron Smith, Mike Williams, and Haason Reddick have been on the Jets for my entire life as far as I am concerned. I can barely remember them not being on the Jets. Yet, their Jets debuts actually will not occur for another 51 days.
Here are three possible reasons why this year’s Jets offseason has felt longer than usual.
Indisputable offseason plan
The Jets have one of their most complete rosters entering a season in franchise history. And we knew there was a chance for this to be the case before they even made the moves that they did.
Entering the 2024 offseason, New York already had an abundance of talent with only a few holes to fill, albeit major ones. Because of this roster makeup, there wasn’t much speculation about what the Jets should do this offseason. They needed to go all-out toward addressing the offensive line and wide receiver units. Everyone knew this.
Due to the lack of drama or uncertainty about what the Jets’ plan should be, the two months leading into free agency felt longer since there wasn’t as much to deliberate over compared to previous Jets offseasons. Considering this team has not made the playoffs since 2011, the roster has been extremely poor going into most seasons, meaning each offseason yielded a seemingly infinite number of potential paths for the Jets to take. This led to constant daily debates among fans about what the ideal plan should be. The frequent discussions and in-depth thinking made the offseason feel more eventful, thereby making it go by faster.
This year, though, those conversations disappeared. The Jets’ situation was very cut-and-dry, reducing the amount of daily speculation and rumors among fans and media members in the Jets space. It was only a matter of which players the Jets would target, eliminating some of the suspense and intrigue that usually goes into a Jets free agency period. Therefore, time that was previously spent on mock offseasons was spent twiddling our thumbs.
Obvious narratives
Since the draft, every discussion about the Jets has come to the exact same conclusion: “If this team stays healthy, they’ll compete for the Super Bowl!” Rinse and repeat.
Usually, when we get to the May-July dog days, the time can be filled with constant debates and deliberation about the state of the Jets’ roster. Should they make another trade or signing to fill this gaping hole? How will they work around this weakness? How can I twist my brain into believing this team can win nine games if everything breaks right?
On this day three years ago, we had zero clue who the Jets’ three starting cornerbacks would be. Their projected No. 1 wide receiver was Corey Davis. Their No. 1 running back was Tevin Coleman. Their No. 1 tight end was Tyler Kroft.
Today, the most daunting conversations about the Jets’ roster have to do with the run stopping ability of the backup defensive tackles.
This year, Jetsland feels much quieter than it typically does at this point of the calendar, whether it’s Twitter, YouTube, or wherever you get your Jets content. It doesn’t feel like Jets fans have as much to say about the team. Because there isn’t really much to say. The aforementioned regurgitated narrative keeps getting regurgitated because it’s correct. The Jets have all the talent they need to win a Super Bowl. We just need to wait and see what happens. What else is there to discuss?
Collectively, the Jets’ fanbase feels like it is situated within the calm before the storm. We know what’s coming. We’ve planned for it. We’ve prepared for it. There’s no use wasting our breath anymore. All we can do is sit and wait.
Doubling down on the wait for Aaron Rodgers
The 2023 offseason felt quicker to me, and it was largely thanks to the constant stream of drama provided by Aaron Rodgers. There was always something happening to keep us entertained. And much of it had a very positive energy, whether it was Rodgers rushing to New Jersey for voluntary OTAs to throw his first passes in Jets gear or Rodgers touring the NYC sports scene with his teammates.
While this year’s offseason has also brought a fair share of Rodgers coverage, the impact of every Rodgers story feels different this time around. We already had to wait through one whole offseason of anticipation before we could see Rodgers suit up, and we only got four plays. Because Rodgers essentially did not play for the Jets last year, it feels like we’re being forced to suffer through double the normal waiting time to see an exciting new player suit up for the team.
Due to this scenario, every piece of Rodgers news is like a slap in the face to Jets fans. When a Rodgers story drops, it feels like I’m being told, “Hey, remember that exciting thing you were promised but had snatched away from you? Well here it is, and have fun waiting another whole offseason until you maybe get to finally see it.”
This offseason, every second of waiting has felt twice as heavy as the normal offseason due to the unusually long wait to see Rodgers in uniform. And since he’s the type of player who finds himself in the news seemingly every day, it only makes the wait feel even longer since you’re constantly reminded of how long you’ve been waiting.
For one reason or another, this Jets offseason sure has been a grind. But in the end, there’s a great chance it will all be worth it.
