5 Impact Moves the Jets Made in the 2023 Off-Season

2023 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting Jets seasons in recent memory.

Following an extremely promising 2022 season, headlined by a number of breakout performances, Joe Douglas went to work this off-season intent on completing the build on a Championship calibre roster.

With training camp just around the corner, I thought we’d start this series with a look at 5 impact moves the Jets made this off-season.

Trading for Aaron Rodgers

There’s only one place to start when you trade for a former Super Bowl champion and four time MVP.

The Jets made a statement of intent trading for Rodgers, who brings both a Championship ring and Championship mentality to New York.

The former Packers signal caller has made quite the impression since making the move east and has been an active participant throughout the off-season.

Looking revitalised, Rodgers should achieve several milestones with the Jets this year. He’s 945 yards shy of passing for 60,000 yards and just 25 touchdowns shy of 500.

Personal achievements are good, but winning a championship is better. Rodgers legacy is already well-established, but winning a championship with the Jets certainly wouldn’t hurt.

Drafting Will McDonald 

Joe Douglas sprung a surprise on draft night, electing to select pass-rusher Will McDonald out of Iowa State. Defensive end may not have been the most glaring need on the Jets roster, but listen to Douglas talk for 5 minutes and you’ll understand the importance of consistent line play.

The Jets had one of the best pass-rushing units in football last season and adding McDonald will only enhance that. It may also open up the opportunity for the Jets to use the versatility of John Franklin-Myers and Micheal Clemons, lining them inside next to Quinnen Williams.

Carl Lawson is another year removed from his Achilles injury and Jermaine Johnson is heading into year two in the system, adding a speed rusher like McDonald who possesses elite bend to turn the corner will make the Jets rotation that much more dangerous.

Last year the Jets ranked 3rd in the league in pressure percentage (25.4%) while blitzing a league-low 14.9%. If the Jets can continue to generate pressure with a 4-man rush, it allows defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich to get creative with his coverage system.

Adding Quinton Jefferson

The Jets experienced a little bit of turnover at defensive tackle with Sheldon Rankins heading to Houston and Nathan Shepherd waltzing into ‘The Big Easy’.

Joe Douglas wasted little time in finding suitable replacements in Al Woods and Quinton Jefferson, and while both are key, I wanted to focus on the latter.

The former Seattle Seahawk is coming off a fine season where he registered 29 tackles, 5.5 sacks and 42 pressures, now he gets the chance to line up next to superstar Quinnen Williams.

Not only will lining up next to Williams take the pressure off Jefferson, but it should ensure that one of them draws favourable matchups. Teams like to double Quinnen, but doing that with Jefferson around is a dangerous game. It’s a case of pick your poison with the DT position.

Adding Allen Lazard 

It’s often said that the Brits like an underdog, I can’t speak for everyone but I know that rings true for me.

Lazard was undrafted out of Iowa State and found his way to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who decided to stash him on the practice squad. Green Bay spotted the opportunity to poach him and after working his way up the Packers depth chart, he formed a close bond with Aaron Rodgers.

Lazard is coming off his best pro season having caught 60 passes for 788 yards and 6 touchdowns, and will likely move around the formation with the Jets.

While with Nathaniel Hackett in Green Bay, Lazard spent considerable time in the slot and out wide, and it’s logical to expect the same in New York. He also draws attention away from Garrett Wilson, who is coming off an impressive rookie campaign.

Adding Mecole Hardman

Speed creates pressure and pressure bursts pipes. Those were the words of Joe Douglas while at the combine in Indianapolis this year, and you don’t get much quicker than Mecole Hardman.

Hardman has averaged 13.8 yards a carry since entering the league in 2019, and his speed creates possibilities for an offence and problems for a defence.

Not only is he a constant deep threat, but he can also be used on jet sweeps and conventional handoffs. He also happens to have multiple touchdowns in the return game, giving special teams coordinator Brant Boyer a talented skillset to work with.

Hardman’s 2022 season was cut short but back in 2021 he caught 59 passes for 693 yards with 507 of those yards coming after the catch. The west coast offence that Hackett will run will rely on YAC ability, and Hardman is likely to be a favourite target

Here I’ve outlined just five moves, but this is by no means a definitive list. You can point to the drafting of centre Joe Tippmann, signing of Adrian Amos or return of punter Thomas Morstead, this roster is ready to win and Douglas may not be done adding.

As the New York Jets squad enjoys a well-earned summer break ahead of Training Camp, we thought we’d take a look at the newest arrivals on the roster coming into the 2023 season.

For the purposes of this article, we’re omitting rookies from the exercise, with a breakdown of our first year players likely to come a little closer to Training Camp.

There have been additions made across the team, with none quite as eye-catching as the well-documented arrival of Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers via trade. Let’s break them down, starting on the offensive side of the ball.

OFFENCE

Quarterback – Aaron Rodgers

The Jets new QB1 needs little in the way of introduction but indulge us for just a moment. Now 39 years old, the signal-caller had spent his entire 17-year career to date with the Green Bay Packers, establishing himself as one of the best passers in NFL history.

A Super Bowl champion (and MVP) in the 2010 season, four NFL MVP awards, 10 Pro Bowl selections, over 5,000 completions and nearly 60,000 passing yards to go with an NFL record 475-105 TD-INT ratio.

He arrives in New York as one of the most eagerly anticipated Jets arrivals in franchise history.

Quarterback – Tim Boyle

Another new face in the quarterback room following the departures of Mike White and Joe Flacco, Tim Boyle has been in the league since 2018, when he signed with the Green Bay Packers and played as Aaron Rodgers’ backup for three seasons.

After short stints with the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears, he teams up with Rodgers again here in New York.

Wide Receiver – Allen Lazard

Rodgers’ teammate for the last four seasons in Green Bay, Allen Lazard signed with the Jets via free agency back in March. He racked up over 2,000 receiving yards with the Packers, emerging as one of their top wideout options despite a tougher journey than most to even reach the NFL, having gone undrafted in 2018.

A big-bodied receiver with a large catch radius, Lazard will offer the ability to stretch the field and make tough contested catches, while his existing rapport with Rodgers should make the adjustment to the new offence an easier proposition.

Wide Receiver – Mecole Hardman

Another new face in the receiver room, Mecole Hardman arrived via free agency from Kansas City, signing a few days after Lazard. He established himself as a key member of the high-flying Chiefs offence following his arrival into the league in 2019, with his game-changing speed as his calling card.

He has contributed in the passing game, the running game and even as a punt returner, and could be involved in all three facets again with the Jets, who may wish to get creative with his deployment around the field.

Wide Receiver – Randall Cobb

The final new addition to the receiver room, and another one who is very familiar with the new face throwing the football at Florham Park.

Randall Cobb spent the first eight years of his career with the Green Bay Packers, returning again for the past two seasons and catching over 500 passes and 40 touchdowns from Aaron Rodgers. He was a Pro Bowler in 2014 after his most successful season, with 91 receptions, 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Now 32 years of age, Cobb provides experience and reliability from the slot, where he has been hugely productive throughout his career.

Offensive Line – Wes Schweitzer

Bolstering the offensive line was a goal for the Jets over the course of the offseason, after injuries besieged the group last year. They made an early addition in free agency, acquiring interior lineman Wes Schweitzer, formerly of the Washington Commanders and Atlanta Falcons.

Schweitzer has played at both guard and centre, starting 60 games in his NFL career, and is expected to provide depth to the Jets offensive line group.

Offensive Line – Trystan Colon

Another addition to the Jets interior OL, Trystan Colon signed with the team in March after three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.

Colon also has experience at both guard and centre, serving as a swing backup for much of his time with Baltimore, a role he looks likely to reprise with the Jets this season.

Offensive Line – Billy Turner

A ten-year NFL veteran, Billy Turner joins the Jets after stop-offs at four other franchises: the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers, with two of those stints seeing him team up with current Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.

His three year run with the Packers means he also has experience with an Aaron Rodgers-led offence, and he will bring knowledge and perspective to the group. He has experience playing at both tackle positions and may be called on in a starting or backup role this season for the green and white.

DEFENCE

Defensive Line – Quinton Jefferson

On the defensive side of the line, the Jets had a couple of vacancies to fill, following the departures of interior defenders Sheldon Rankins and Nathan Shepherd. Quinton Jefferson will step up in that regard, arriving from Seattle where he has played three stints over his seven year career.

Jefferson’s strength will be in the pass-rush game, where he has collected 10 sacks over the past two seasons. He could team up with Quinnen Williams on the interior to cause major disruption in the passing game.

Defensive Line – Al Woods

Al Woods is another former Seahawk, although his 13-year career has actually spanned seven NFL franchises, meaning the 36-year old brings experience and nous to a young Jets DL unit.

In contrast to Jefferson, Woods’ biggest contribution is likely to come in the run game, where he has carved out a reputation as one of the most productive run stuffers in the league.

Safety – Adrian Amos

Their most recent addition to the roster, the Jets added veteran safety Adrian Amos last week, bolstering their secondary.

Another former Packer, Amos has 10 career interceptions and has appeared in every regular season game over the past five seasons, giving the Jets depth and versatility at the safety position.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Punter – Thomas Morstead

The final name in our long list of Jets additions, Thomas Morstead signed with the team in April and is the presumed starting punter heading into the 2023 season.

Morstead has played for the Jets before, appearing in seven games for them in 2021. Previous to that, the 36-year old spent 12 years as the punter for the New Orleans Saints, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All Pro honours in 2012.

After five weeks of thrilling regular season action, the Jets and Bears NFL Girls Flag League reached its conclusion on Monday evening in Ealing, as the Ealing Fields Jets secured the inaugural title against the Beaconsfield Bears, by a score of 38-12.

All 12 teams and 130 girls took part in the event, with games directly between Jets and Bears teams for the first time in the league to date. Ealing Fields and Beaconsfield progressed to the grand final after victories against Featherstone and Northwood respectively, with a large crowd gathering to watch the final unfold.

Along with the on-field action, the event at Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club also had hair braiding, eye black artists, cornhole, jenga, BBQ and an ice cream stand, as the girls celebrated their extraordinary progress in the London sunshine.

Since the launch event on March 8th at the same location, the progress of the participating teams has been eye-catching, with a number of dazzling plays stealing the show. Along with their on-field displays, the girls impressed with their off-field teamwork, camaraderie and passion for the game.

Almost all girls had zero experience playing flag football before the league began, but threw themselves head first into the challenge, representing their schools and teams with pride.

During the trophy presentation, which included short speeches from Jets and Bears community representatives Eli Hodges and Gustavo Silva, it was also revealed that the winning Ealing Fields team would represent the Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium later this year, in a one-off contest with their German equivalents.

Ealing Fields went the regular season unbeaten, and it was clear why on Monday as they dominated on offence and defence when it mattered most, pulling away in a final that had all to play for at half time.

The teams were cheered on by a number of parents, relatives and fans, including flag player and Sky Sports analyst Phoebe Schecter and former New York Jet Erik Coleman. Coleman also spent the day before attending a grassroots training session at Finsbury Park, the home of the London Blitz.

The six week league was an extension of the Jets hugely successful domestic Girls Flag programme, and marks the start of what they hope will be a sustained effort in the United Kingdom to promote grassroots American Football.

With the New York Jets schedule officially released this month, all that remains is to count down the days until that opening game against the Buffalo Bills – not too long now!

The 17-game schedule is full of bumper matchups, but we thought we’d break down five of the can’t miss contests for UK fans, especially given some of them might require some crafty planning of sleep schedules…

Week 1 – New York Jets vs Buffalo Bills – Tuesday 12 September, 1:15AM

We have to start at the beginning. A Monday Night Football matchup with back-to-back-to-back division champions the Buffalo Bills.

Aaron Rodgers’ first start as a New York Jet will come in front of a raucous MetLife Stadium crowd on national television, as the Jets look to repeat the trick from last season and beat Josh Allen and the Bills at home.

Fans in the UK: take Tuesday off work now. This one is going to be worth staying up for.

Week 4 – New York Jets vs Kansas City Chiefs – Monday 2 October, 1:20AM

It’s another late game, but you’d have to call this one ‘can’t miss’. The visit of the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, will take place on Sunday Night Football, as the Jets make their first appearance on SNF in over a decade.

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are once again one of the favourites for the Lombardi Trophy, so if the Jets want to be considered serious contenders, this is a game where they will have the opportunity to lay down a marker.

The MetLife crowd is bound to be energised for this one, and we once again recommend a tactical day off on the Monday if you can…

Week 8 – New York Giants vs New York Jets – Sunday 29 October, 5PM

The New York Derby! For the first time since 2019, the Jets and Giants will go head-to-head in the regular season, as the Jets ‘travel’ to their crosstown rivals.

Off the bye week, and playing at the earlier time slot of 5pm UK due to the end of Daylight Savings, this will be a big game not just for city bragging rights, but to set the tone of the Jets second half of the season.

Week 12 – New York Jets vs Miami Dolphins – Friday 24 November, 8PM

The first Black Friday game in NFL history! The Jets will play host for another [quasi] prime time game in week 12, when the Dolphins come to town, at the UK-friendly Friday night time of 8pm.

The first of two contests with the Dolphins in a four-week stretch, this one could have major divisional ramifications if 2022 was any indicator.

Week 18 – New England Patriots vs New York Jets – TBD, TBD

Although we don’t yet know the date and time of this final week matchup, it’s still worth circling on the schedule.

The Jets haven’t beaten the Patriots in their previous 14 attempts, a dismal record stretching back to 2015. They will hope to get the monkey off their back in week three when the Patriots travel to MetLife, but regardless of how that result plays out, this game could be seismic in terms of implications.

Both teams have playoff aspirations in what looks set to be one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL, and the outcome from this one could decide the division winner, seedings or even wildcard spots in a crucial way. Plus, it’s always nice to beat the Pats.

Of course, there are plenty of other mouth-watering matchups on the schedule for this season, including prime time games with the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders as well as the visit of NFC champions the Philadelphia Eagles.

A reminder too that Sky Sports NFL will be showing live broadcast coverage of games each week including all prime time contests, talkSPORT will have exclusive radio rights to several Jets games and all of the action can also be found via GamePass International – more details to come on that front.

We’ll be keeping you up to date too with every moment of the action – so get your diaries prepped now as you won’t want to miss it.

The New York Jets regular season schedule was announced on Thursday night as part of the NFL’s league-wide schedule release.

In 2023, the Jets’ 17-game schedule will include nine home games and eight away, with the schedule rotation meaning they play all four teams from both the AFC West and NFC East.

Their schedule also includes a whopping six primetime games, including the first ever Black Friday game against division rivals the Miami Dolphins.

Better get your sleep in now!

They’ll start the season at MetLife for what looks set to be an electric Monday Night Football game against the Buffalo Bills.

After a trip to Dallas, they host the Patriots in the only 6pm UK kick-off until December before another primetime game at MetLife – Sunday Night Football against reigning Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs.

The schedule doesn’t get much easier ahead of the bye, with a trip to Denver followed by the visit of the Philadelphia Eagles – last year’s NFC champs.

After the bye week, it’s crosstown rivalry week, as the Jets play ‘away’ at MetLife for the first time since 2015, vs the Giants. The Chargers and Raiders games follow, both at primetime: the first on Monday Night and the second Sunday night before the Jets play the reverse fixture against Buffalo.

They’ll contest the first ever Black Friday NFL game against the Dolphins on November 24th at the UK-friendly time of 8pm. They then play four games back in the 6pm timeslot, including three at home, the last of which is a Christmas Eve contest with the Washington Commanders.

A Thursday Night Football matchup in Cleveland will help ring in the New Year, before the Jets complete their schedule with a trip to Foxborough in January – exact date and time TBC.

So there you have it! 17 games across 18 weeks, with the Jets hoping that this is the year their long playoff absence comes to an end.

From a UK perspective, it’s going to be a lot of late nights! But with mouth-watering matchups start to finish, the adrenaline will be pumping (along with the coffee) to help get us through.

Chime in on social media with your thoughts, and keep your eyes peeled for more info as the season ticks closer.

The 2023 NFL Draft concluded on Saturday night, as the final rounds played out in Kansas City and the New York Jets finalised their selection of rookies.

There was one fun twist in the tail on Saturday evening when the draft went away from KC however: all the way to London.

With their first fourth round pick, 120th overall, the New York Jets made the pick announcement live from the talkSPORT offices near London Bridge, with six Jets & Bears NFL Girls Flag participants joining radio host Will Gavin for a special presentation.

The Jets selected Carter Warren with the pick, an offensive lineman out of Pittsburgh, who actually grew up a Jets fan in the New Jersey area.

It marks the second time in as many years that the Jets have made a live draft selection from London, following Nick Mangold’s broadcast from the top of the Shard in 2022, when Max Mitchell joined the roster – also making it 2 for 2 in terms of offensive tackles selected here in the UK.

It also helped shine a light on the ongoing Jets & Bears NFL Girls Flag league, which is underway now, with weekly games taking place at Ealing Trailfinders in West London.

Maryam Hashi, 12, was chosen as the lead announcer and did an outstanding job – her Fielding School team will be in action on Thursday, hoping some strong results can boost their chances at winning the inaugural Championship, with the finals taking place on May 22nd.

For more information on the league and teams, please visit the Girls Flag page of our website.

It’s official: Aaron Rodgers is a New York Jet.

The trade between the Jets and the Green Bay Packers was confirmed at 2pm exactly on Wednesday 26th April, moments before Rodgers’ introductory press conference at One Jets Drive.

The Jets gave up a 2023 first round pick (13), second round pick (42) and sixth round pick (207) as well as a conditional 2024 pick which will be a first or second round pick depending on Rodgers’ playing time.

In return, they got Rodgers, the Packers 2023 first round pick (15) and fifth round pick (170).

The trade was a long time coming. Rumours around Rodgers’ future swirled as early as January, whilst the Jets’ desire to recruit a veteran quarterback was no secret.

Speculation ramped up when Jets leadership visited Rodgers in California in March, with Rodgers’ announcement a few days later on the Pat McAfee show that his intention was to play for the Jets all but confirming the marriage between the two sides.

Jets GM Joe Douglas and Packers GM Brian Gutekunst still had the details of any deal to work through however, with negotiations continuing up until draft week, when the transaction was finally completed, with a smiling Rodgers arriving at the Jets training facility.

“Obviously, we’re comfortable with how this deal shaped,” Jets GM Douglas said Tuesday. “I don’t think anyone ever walks away from a negotiation where you feel like you won everything in terms of what’s gone back and forth. But ultimately, our goal from the beginning was to add Aaron to the team, so we were able to get that. We agreed to terms yesterday and we’re just excited to bring him here.”

It was also confirmed on Wednesday that Rodgers would be wearing his old college number, 8, with the Jets after 17 seasons as the Packers’ number 12. The ‘12’ jersey had been retired by the Jets, in honour of legendary quarterback Joe Namath, and whilst ‘Broadway Joe’ offered to unretire the number for Rodgers, the signal caller confirmed that he wouldn’t be taking him up on that:

“I heard what he said about unretiring his number, but to me, 12 is Broadway Joe. I didn’t even want to go down that path, and I’m excited to go back to my college number.”

Rodgers joins the Jets as one of the most prolific passers in NFL history. He is a Super Bowl champion and MVP (XLV), a four-time first-team All-Pro, a ten-time Pro Bowler and a four-time NFL MVP award winner. He has over 59,000 yards and 475 touchdowns to his name, and is widely regarded as one of the best to play the position and a future Hall of Famer.

He will team up with an exciting crop of young Jets stars, led by All-Pro Quinnen Williams, Rookies of the Year Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson and former teammate Allen Lazard. Rodgers will also have a familiar face in the facility in Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who teamed up with the quarterback between 2019-2021 as OC of the Packers.

We’re counting down the days now until the start of the 2023 NFL Draft, and here at New York Jets UK we want to make sure you don’t miss a second of the action.

What is the NFL Draft?

The NFL Draft is an annual event, which provides the most common route into the league for new players. Eligible players must be at least three years removed from high school, with the overwhelming majority of players selected out of the US collegiate system.

Since 2015, the location of the draft has changed each year, with the 2023 edition taking place in Kansas City, Missouri. Since 2010, the draft has been a three day event, starting on a Thursday and ending on a Saturday.

Teams are given a position in the draft order in reverse of their win-loss record from the previous season, meaning the worst team in the league picks first and the Super Bowl champion picks 32nd.

Teams can trade picks, either for current players on a different team and/or to try to accumulate a greater quantity of picks belonging to other teams. The draft comprises of seven rounds, with around 250 total players selected, depending on the exact number of ‘compensatory picks’ which changes each year.

What time is the NFL Draft?

The first two days of the draft take place at night in the United States, making it the early hours of the morning for fans here in the UK.

Round 1 starts at 8pm Eastern Time on Thursday 27th April, which is 1am British Summer Time on Friday morning here in the UK. There is no exact timing for when each round finishes, as teams get up to 10 minutes to make their selection, but it typically takes close to three hours.

Rounds 2 and 3 will start at 7pm Eastern Time on Friday 28th, which is midnight for fans in the UK.

The final day, including rounds 4-7, will start at 12pm Eastern Time on Saturday 29th, which is 5pm for fans in the UK.

When do the Jets make their selections?

Round 1, Pick 13

Round 2, Pick 42

Round 2, Pick 43

Round 4, Pick 112

Round 5, Pick 143

Round 6, Pick 207