Robert Saleh Welcomes 'Quiet' Jets Offseason After Chaotic 2023
The Jets head coach is perfectly fine with the relative lack of noise surrounding his team this offseason.
The last 12 months have been a whirlwind for the New York Jets. They traded for Aaron Rodgers last April, giving their fanbase hope and true championship expectations for the first time in a very long time. Then Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon in his first game wearing a Jets uniform. New York shuffled through several replacement quarterbacks but never found an answer and stumbled to a 7-10 record. All the while Rodgers was making headlines for his appearances on the Pat McAfee Show and injury recovery saga.
It was quite a busy season for a team that didn't make the playoffs. This offseason they're trying to fix that. The Jets have addressed several areas of weakness in free agency, headlined by the free agent acquisitions of veteran All-Pro tackle Tyron Smith to protect Rodgers' blind side and former first-rounder Mike Williams for reinforcements at the receiver position. They own the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL Draft to further improve the roster.
Given how active the team has been this offseason there has been plenty of discussion surrounding their moves. But it's nothing compared to last year around this time. Head coach Robert Saleh told NFL Network's Steve Wyche on Sunday he's perfectly fine with that.
"I think (general manager) Joe (Douglas) has done a really nice job adding some really cool pieces to the football team, but, yeah, quiet," Saleh told NFL Network's Steve Wyche at the Annual League Meeting on Sunday regarding the Jets' free agency. "Last year was a little loud. We welcome a little bit of quietness."
This will be the last stretch of "quietness" for the Jets if everything goes according to plan. Rodgers should be on track to return from his injury in time for training camp. The organization has already added a few big names on the open market and will add even more talent when the draft kicks off in April. They are a team with legitimate championship aspirations and will be treated as such by the general football public. Every decision made will be under a microscope.
Rodgers himself is also a lightning rod for extra attention. He spent much of the 2023 season promising to return in time for the postseason. And while Saleh is right that things are quiet right now, it was only a few weeks ago that Rodgers was being mentioned as a potential vice presidential candidate. With a personality like his on the roster, quietness is only a temporary state of affairs.
The Jets have positioned themselves well to bounce back in 2024 after a difficult season. The noise surrounding the roster and the organization's contender status will only grow louder as the new season draws near. Saleh is well off enjoying the quiet while he can.
Liam McKeone is a staff writer at The Big Lead.
