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2023 NFL Season: Jets to become this year’s 2022 Broncos?

By Lou Scataglia

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 02: New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner attend game two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden on May 02, 2023 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 02: New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner attend game two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden on May 02, 2023 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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The New York Jets look poised to be a competitive football team in 2023, but could this team be similar to last year’s Denver Broncos?  This is the last thing that the Jets and their fans want to see, honestly.  Perhaps the biggest move of the offseason was Aaron Rodgers expressing his desire to play for NY, and the trade actually taking place.

Rodgers is now wearing a different shade of green and is on a team that looks locked and loaded for the 2023 season, and is on a team that needs to win, now.

While New York fans may not want to hear this; it’s clear that the 2023 Jets do have a ton of similarities to the 2022 Denver Broncos.  We’ll break those down.

2023 NFL Season: Jets to become this year’s 2022 Broncos?

Acquisition of a veteran QB

The first and obvious similarity is the acquisition of a veteran QB.  New York traded for Aaron Rodgers this offseason.  I was personally skeptical that it would actually get done, as it seemed to drag on longer than some thought, but the trade was completed.

Anytime a QB of Rodgers’ caliber is in the situation, that team is going to be a serious contender.  The reaction from Jets’ fans when Rodgers arrived seems to be similar to that of Broncos’ fans when Russell Wilson arrived.

Both franchises struggled to find competent QB play for years and went through countless options.  Rodgers also endured the worst statistical year of his starting career, so there is an argument to be made that he’s over the hump and might not play as well as some may hope.

Bad team that needs to win now

The Denver Broncos have been a bad football team for years now.  The New York Jets have been a bad football team for years now.  In fact, both teams hold the longest active playoff drought streaks in the NFL, so the thirst for winning football is abundantly present between both clubs.

What appears to be a solid roster up and down

The 2022 Broncos and 2023 Jets both appear and appeared to have very solid rosters.  That’s likely a big reason why Wilson and Rodgers wanted to come play for their new teams.  And I think that’s true; both teams do have good rosters, and there’s reason to believe that both clubs could win.

Unproven coaching and Nathaniel Hackett

The Nathaniel Hackett hire by the Denver Broncos last year appeared to be a good one, but he did bring in a very ripe coaching staff that didn’t have a ton of experience.  That quickly blew up in their faces and was a big reason for their lack of success.

I think the Jets currently have a better coaching staff than the 2022 Broncos did, but the staff has not coached a winning football team together, so it’s unproven until they do that.

Also, Nathaniel Hackett is now the OC of New York, so he’s been present in both situations as well.

As you can see, there truly are a ton of similarities between the 2022 Denver Broncos and the 2023 New York Jets.

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