The New York Jets enter the 2024 season with high expectations and new excitement levels throughout the fanbase. After a disappointing 2023 campaign riddled with injuries, New York made various moves in the offseason to get the franchise back on track. The roster currently assembled on paper is one of the most talented in Jets history which could lead to new records and history being made this season.
Today, let’s take a look at team and individual Jets records that could be broken this season.
New York Jets Records That Could Be Broken This Season
Passing Yards
When the New York Jets acquired Aaron Rodgers last spring many of the current passing records in franchise history seemed easily attainable for the four-time MVP. Unfortunately, when Rodgers went down four snaps into the season those records remained intact. Currently, the Jets passing yards record belongs to Hall of Famer and Super Bowl Champion Joe Namath, who threw for 4,007 yards during the 1967 season. This record has been in place for 56 years and the closest to beating it was Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2015 when the journeyman threw for 3,905 yards.
This record being number one for 56 years tells fans all they need to know about the quarterback play the Jets have put onto the gridiron over the years. Not very good. However, entering 2024 this record being beat finally seems realistic as Aaron Rodgers has thrown for over 4,000 yards in 10 different seasons. On top of this, Rodgers’ career high in passing yards came in 2011 when he threw for 4,643 yards. Even though Rodgers is entering his age 40 season coming off a torn Achilles, even if the future Hall of Famer is playing at 75-80% of what he has been, Rodgers will make a serious run at this record and his track record proves that.
Passing Touchdowns
Another record that Rodgers should find himself either beating or at least sliding into the top three in franchise history is passing touchdowns. The record has belonged to Ryan Fitzpatrick since 2015 when he threw for 31 touchdowns in a year that landed him the nickname “FitzMagic.” Since that 2015 season, the closest to beating Fitzpatrick’s 31 touchdowns was a whopping 19-touchdown campaign from Sam Darnold in 2019.
Entering 2024, Rodgers is very familiar with 30+ touchdown passing seasons. In his 19-year career, Rodgers has thrown over 30 touchdowns in eight seasons including three of those being 40+ touchdown seasons. To put it in perspective if Rodgers played for the Jets during his entire career up to this point he would hold the first seven spots for most touchdown passes in a single season.
Completions
This may be the most breakable record for Aaron Rodgers as he enters his 2oth season. The record currently belongs to Brett Favre who had 343 completions in his only season with Gang Green in 2008. This means Rodgers will look to break a record that is held by his former teammate in Green Bay.
Rodgers has completed over 340 passes in 12 different seasons with the Green Bay Packers. Most recently, in his last full season played Rodgers completed 350 passes in 2022 which would be good enough to break Favre’s record of 343. Rodgers has surpassed Favre’s completions number many times in Green Bay and this year should be no different.
Receiving Yards
If Aaron Rodgers has success this season then there is a really good chance his number one receiver Garrett Wilson will have a monster season as well. In Wilson’s first two years in the league, he surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in both seasons becoming the first Jet to accomplish back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns since Keyshawn Johnson in 1998-1999. What made Wilson’s run the last two years so impressive was his ability to produce with the worst quarterback play in football. Entering his third season, Wilson will now have a Hall of Fame quarterback throwing to him with all eyes set on breaking the Jets receiving yards record.
In 2015, Brandon Marshall had a career year and a historic season in Jets history when the wideout produced 1,502 receiving yards which helped him finish fourth in the NFL that year in yards. Since 2015, only one receiver wearing the green and white has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards and that is Garrett Wilson. While eclipsing the 1,500-yard mark as a receiver is tough with only three doing it last year, Wilson has proven he can be a game-breaker and now he has legitimate quarterback play to help him achieve this feat.
Receptions
Not only did 2015 put Brandon Marshall atop the leaderboard in Jets history with yards it also put Marshall atop the list with 109 receptions that season which remains a franchise record. In Wilson’s first two seasons, the young wideout has produced 178 receptions with 95 of those coming last season. Similar to the yards, Wilson with better quarterback play should make a run at this record.
This a record that if it isn’t broken could mean the success with Rodgers and Wilson isn’t quite there. The reason for this is when Rodgers was alongside Davante Adams in Green Bay, Adams’ best seasons saw him haul in well over 100 receptions. Rodgers is going to find ways to get the ball to his best receiver and entering 2024 Garrett Wilson is undoubtedly New York’s best wideout and has the potential to become one of the best in the league.
Wins
This is what matters most in the eyes of NFL organizations, players, and fans. Winning especially matters for Jets fans because it has not come easy and often over the last decade. Gang Green hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2010 and hasn’t taken home the AFC East crown since 2002. Since New York started as an AFL franchise in 1960 the team has only surpassed ten wins in a season eleven times. That’s not exactly a winning ratio.
The Jets’ best record in terms of winning percentage was the 1968-1969 team that won Super Bowl III and went 11-3 in the 14-game regular season. That record totaled out to a .786 winning percentage. However, in 1998 New York surpassed 12 wins going 12-4 which still stands as the second-best winning percentage in a season in franchise history at .750. That 1998 team was the only time New York surpassed 12 wins in a season. Many fans to this day believe that was the most talented team in Jets history and many have compared this 2024 team on paper to the 1998 squad.
To put it simply, if there was ever a Jets team to surpass 12 wins and finish the season 13-4 or better it would be this squad. Aaron Rodgers and the weapons on offense combined with one of the best defenses in football have many Jets fans wondering, “If not now, when?”
