With Aaron Rodgers’ Week 1 injury ending their 2023 season before it could really begin, the New York Jets are hoping to run it back with Rodgers and make one more Super Bowl run with the future Hall of Fame quarterback. To that end, they’re hoping to add a pair of veterans to augment their offense.
In a response to mailbag questions, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer addressed the Jets’ plans for the coming offseason. He said that, much like last year, they’ll be a prime spot for free agents chasing a ring or hoping for a “reputation bump.”
As for actual players the Jets might target, he identified Green Bay Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari as one. Bakhtiari and Rodgers were teammate in Green Bay for many years and remain good friends off of it.
The other player Breer named was Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd, who is heading into free agency after eight seasons. The former second-round pick has given way to Ja’Marr Chase as the top receiver on the team and is largely seen as the No. 3 receiver on the team after Tee Higgins. But he could be a No. 2 receiver on the Jets.
“The first potential target I’d keep an eye on would be Green Bay Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari, if he’s released in the coming days. It’d be tough for the Jets to rely on Bakhtiari without doing more at the position, based on his injury history, but adding the tackle to the mix would be a good place to start. And then I could certainly see one of the veteran backs we mentioned earlier, or someone like the Cincinnati Bengals’ Tyler Boyd, being added to the mix as well,” Breer wrote.
But the Jets targeted tons of players last year and wound up with Mecole Hardman, Allen Lazard and Dalvin Cook as their big free agent signings. Two of those players were gone before the end of the season and the third was a healthy scratch for a large chunk of it.
Will the Jets have better luck in free agency this year?