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The NFL’s free agency period officially began on Monday, March 11, leading to a bevy of high-profile signings across the league.
One surprisingly quiet team, however, was the New York Jets, who are widely considered to need to revamp their offensive line if they’re going to be competitive in the AFC this season.
Despite this seemingly glaring need, however, the Jets have signed just one offensive lineman thus far: 26-year-old guard John Simpson from the Baltimore Ravens to a two-year deal.
The Jets’ inactivity in the offensive line market already has loyal Gang Green fans sweating, especially considering the fact that Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles just four plays into the 2023 season, which sidelined him for the entirety of the campaign.
The Jets are doing THE EXACT SAME THING THEY DID LAST YEAR:
“Don’t worry… we have Aaron Rodgers!”
THIS ORGANIZATION IS A COMPLETE AND UTTER DISGRACE TO PROFESSIONAL SPORTS @woodyjohnson4 pic.twitter.com/10MemZ4BKL
— John Frascella (Football) (@LegendSports7) March 11, 2024
Aaron Rodgers behind this OL this year: pic.twitter.com/Ng3wrz6gc3
— Cromartie Jr. (@SpyroKush) March 11, 2024
Given Rodgers’ recent injury history and advanced age, a porous offensive line could have the potential to derail the Jets’ season despite how much talent they may have elsewhere.
It’s difficult to imagine that Rodgers is happy with what the Jets have done in free agency thus far, as he recently outlined during a lengthy podcast interview that he believes the AFC East club needs to sign a new wide receiver and some offensive linemen.
“We’ve got to sort out the offensive line, maybe add a couple of guys there. Maybe get another receiver. But I like our chances, and I feel like if I’m out there, we’ve always got a chance,” Rodgers said while doing an interview on the Keep Hammering Collective podcast.
So far, some of the top free agent offensive line signings have been guard Robert Hunt signing a $100 million deal with the Carolina Panthers, guard Mike Onwenu signing a $57 million contract to stay with the New England Patriots, guard Damien Lewis signing with the Seattle Seahawks, guard Jonah Jackson joining the Los Angeles Rams, and center Lloyd Cushenberry landing in Tennessee.
Last season, the Jets’ offensive line was constantly being reshuffled, as the team played with 13 different combinations up front across 17 regular season games.