Coming into the 2023 season, there was more hype surrounding the New York Jets than ever before.
Since winning Super Bowl 3 way back in 1969, the Jets’ history has been littered with calamities and disaster.
All that was supposed to change when they lured veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the NFL’s four-time Most Valuable Player, from the Green Bay Packers.
Both parties crave a second Super Bowl appearance, but just four snaps into his Jets career, disaster struck again as Rodgers tore his Achilles.
The 40-year-old has now recovered and the Jets have bolstered what was already one of the strongest rosters in the NFL.
So, coming into the 2024 campaign, linebackers CJ Mosley and Quincy Williams tell BBC Sport why the Jets feel now is the time to finally get back to the big game.
Jets got stronger in adversity
Rodgers’ injury thrust struggling youngster Zach Wilson back into the firing line and the Jets used four different starting quarterbacks over the course of last season.
They still managed to grind out a 7-10 record – thanks largely to their defence – and in Tyrod Taylor the Jets have brought in a more seasoned, reliable back-up at QB, just in case Rodgers is again ruled out.
Williams, 28, says: “[Last season] was a roller coaster, but the biggest thing is that the team stayed together, no matter what the outside noise was.
“At the beginning of the season, we ran into a little adversity, but we all kept fighting. Every week the goal was to go 1-0. Sometimes we didn’t get that, but we went into the next week with the same mindset.”
Although Mosley says last season was ultimately “a failure”, the 32-year-old agrees the adversity the Jets faced has made them stronger.
“Aaron going down was tough for the whole team but you have to bounce back or regroup,” he adds.
“A lot of things didn’t go our way, but we grew together. Some way, some how, we were able to get back up and improve. We could easily have quit but we finished off the year strong.
“I have a championship mentality and I made sure I kept my mindset right to lead the team. I kept playing as if number eight (Rodgers) was still throwing the ball for us the whole season, so when he does come back, there won’t be any shock when we’re putting points on the board.”
Winning mentality instilled by Rodgers
After moving from the NFL’s smallest market to the biggest, Rodgers threw himself into life in the Big Apple.
He may move in different circles to the rest of the Jets’ squad but as Mosley explains, he still acts as one of the guys.
“He’s a special person,” he says. “He’s really an A-list celebrity. You listen to some of his stories and it’s mind-blowing. He’ll casually mention hanging out with MJ (Michael Jordan).
“He’s not living a normal life, but outside of that he’s laid-back, very approachable, and he loves to be around his team-mates. It’s crazy that I get to say he’s my boy.”
The Jets haven’t reached the play-offs since the 2010 season. It isn’t just the longest active play-off drought in the NFL, it’s the longest in US men’s sport.
But Rodgers has proven to be the leader they have been crying out for, instilling a winning mentality among the players.
“He’s an energy person, man,” adds Williams. “As soon as he came into the facility, his energy was felt. He’s also one of those gold-jacket guys (future Hall of Famer), so anything he says, anything he critiques, oh, we listen.
“The biggest thing is that, no matter where you are on the totem pole, he treats you the same – from the janitors to the owner.
“Any time you’ve got any questions, you can just go ask him. Off-season, if you want to train with him, he’s like ‘I’m here for you’. He even ran the practice squad a few times for us (when injured).”
Short-term reinforcements brought in
Williams joined the Jets in 2021, the same year head coach Robert Saleh took charge. Previously a defensive coordinator, he has turned the Jets’ defence into one of the NFL’s best.
And although they struggled on offence last season, they’ve brought in a more reliable back-up for Rodgers and found him greater protection on the offensive line.
Not only did the Jets select Olu Fashanu with their first draft pick but they have also brought in veterans Morgan Moses, John Simpson and Tyron Smith.
They should help give Rodgers more time to pick out receivers such as new signing Mike Williams, who will offer a greater downfield threat.
Most have signed short-term deals, while Rodgers is not guaranteed to play in 2025, so Williams says it’s “very important” the Jets make the most of their opportunity this season.
“It’s our fourth year together, as far as a team and a coaching staff,” he says. “The first two years were more like figuring us out, we were kind of a young team.
“Third year was like ‘alright, let’s see what we’ve got’. Now I feel like it’s ‘alright y’all, let’s go all in. It’s time now’. That’s the mindset we’ve got now. The Super Bowl’s the goal.”
The Jets have launched a new kit for this season, which is a nod to their dominant defence from the early 1980s, known as the New York Sack Exchange.
Now Mosley, one of the Jets’ longest-serving players having signed in 2019, has challenged the current team to create their own legacy – as Super Bowl winners.
“It’s great to pay respect to them, they had a lot of fun on the field,” he adds. “Whenever they made a big play they were up celebrating, and that’s what we have to do this year.
“We’ve set ourselves up to win a championship. Anything less than that and we’re wasting our time here. We want to do something special. It’s time to put some wins on the board and make things happen.”