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In 2021, The New York Jets doubled their win total from the previous season. However, a 4-13 record underscores just how far the franchise has to go before competing for anything of consequence.
The Jets’ rebooted the franchise to start 2021, hiring Robert Saleh as head coach and selecting quarterback Zach Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick. Any true judgment on those two decisions will have to wait another season and probably longer, but the two experienced growing pains during their first year together. Wilson played erratically in his 13 starts, providing a few flashes of brilliance while also putting the ball in jeopardy far too often. He finished his rookie campaign with just 13 total touchdowns and 14 turnovers.
Meanwhile, the Jets fielded the worst defense in the NFL. The unit finished dead last in Football Outsiders’ DVOA, a decline of 11 spots from the previous season. Given Saleh’s background as a defensive coach, that part of the team will have to show considerable progress in 2022 to keep him off the hot seat.
The disappointing 2021 season has oddsmakers feeling cold on the Jets’ chances of winning next year’s title. The team currently has +15000 odds to win Super Bowl LVII.
New York Jets Super Bowl 57 odds: +15000
While the Jets need to reconstruct their roster, they have some tools with which to work. The team currently has around $48 million in cap space for 2022, according to Over the Cap. New York also has an extra pick in the first and second rounds after trading Jamal Adams and Sam Darnold, respectively. General manager Joe Douglas can invest in the offensive line, where Mekhi Becton hasn’t quite lived up to his draft status and the right side of the unit needs new blood. Surrounding Wilson with more playmakers remains paramount, as Elijah Moore and Corey Davis can only do so much. On defense, another field-tilting pass rusher or two could make a significant difference in Saleh’s system, as would another starting cornerback.
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