The best New York Jets players of all time: Here is our list
NorthJersey.com’s list of the top 10 New York Jets players of all time, plus honorable mentions.
With the return of Aaron Rodgers, it should come as no surprise that the New York Jets are one of three teams (Cowboys and 49ers) scheduled to play six prime-time games next season.
Including their Week 5 game against the Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, the Jets have seven standalone games this season, all of which come before their Week 12 off in late November.
Regardless of whether you support Gang Green or not, Rodgers and Co. will be the focus of much of the first half of their 2024 season.
With the season just around the corner, here are our rankings of the Jets’ primetime games:
#6: NY Jets vs. Indianapolis Colts, Week 11, SNF
By mid-November, we will know where the Jets stand: whether they are at the top of the AFC East, fighting for one of the three wild card spots, or in the middle of a disappointing season.
While it would be exciting to see Rodgers face off against one of the league’s most interesting young quarterbacks, Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, this matchup rounds out the group compared to the other storylines leading up to this game at MetLife Stadium.
#5: NY Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers, Week 7, SNF
The Steel City will see a duel between two Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks: Rodgers against Russell Wilson.
This will be the Jets’ first Sunday night game of the season and their first away game in over a month, as Gang Green’s Week 5 clash with the Vikings in London counts as a home game.
In their careers, Rodgers has a slight edge over Wilson in head-to-head records at 5-4. Their last playoff matchup was in the 2019 Divisional Round, when Rodgers and the Packers defeated Wilson and the Seahawks 28-23.
#4: NY Jets vs. Houston Texans, Week 9, TNF
Two weeks after the game against the Steelers, the Jets will host QB CJ Stroud and the Texans in the Meadowlands on Thursday night.
There is a good argument that this matchup could be the absolute highlight of the week, especially because the Jets are playing their third game in eleven days or less, the second time already in 2024 when Houston comes to town.
After an outstanding rookie season in which Stroud was named 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year, he is now one of the top three favorites for the MVP title and has the fourth-lowest odds of representing the AFC in Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans in February.
The former No. 2 overall pick is seeking revenge after the Jets defeated Stroud (which was missing its two best WRs) 30-6 in a rainy match in East Rutherford last December, even without Rodgers.
#3: NY Jets vs. Buffalo Bills, Week 6, MNF
There’s no denying the importance this game will have for the organization. It will be Rodgers’ first game against Buffalo since tearing his Achilles after just four practice games with the Jets.
It’s also poetic that this matchup is taking place on Monday Night Football at MetLife Stadium. It’s eerily similar to last season, except the game is only a third of the way through the season.
This also comes at a time this season when you’ll notice how well Rodgers is in rhythm and how consistent he is with the Jets offense and how well Bills QB Josh Allen is playing without his top weapon, WR Stefon Diggs, who was traded to the Texans this offseason along with his 160 targets (sixth most in the NFL last year).
While there are plenty of storylines in this game, the more important clash between these two teams battling for the division title comes in Week 17 when the Jets travel to Buffalo for the penultimate game of the regular season, where weather and wind will most likely play a role.
#2: NY Jets vs. New England Patriots, Week 3, TNF
The second attempt for Rodgers’ first home game comes after the Jets played away against the 49ers and Titans.
The applause for the four-time MVP in his home debut in 2024 is likely to be equal to, if not greater than, what he received last year in front of a sold-out crowd at MetLife Stadium.
It will be the first time in decades that Bill Belichick will not be on the opposing Patriots sideline when new head coach Jerod Mayo takes the helm for his third career game.
Last season, the Jets ended a 15-game losing streak by defeating New England for the first time since 2011. Given the current state of both organizations, it would not be a surprise to see the Jets win both games against the Patriots, something they have not accomplished in 24 years.
This is the first time the franchise has played three games in a short period of less than two weeks (at the 49ers on September 9, at the Titans on September 15 and against the Patriots on September 19).
#1: NY Jets at San Francisco 49ers, Week 1, MNF
There’s no other option here. Week 1, on the road, with Rodgers back in his home state against a 49ers team looking to bounce back from a 25-22 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58.
This will also be Rodgers’ first game in 363 days, as he did not play the entire preseason, unlike last year when he played in the final preseason game against the Giants.
It won’t be an easy game, as the Jets face one of the toughest, if not the toughest, defense this season and the offense features players like QB Brock Purdy, RB Christian McCaffrey, WR Deebo Samuel and TE George Kittle. The Niners ranked third in scoring in 2023 with 28.9 points per game.
Now with the Jets, Rodgers is looking to get revenge on the 49ers, as they ended his season with the Green Bay Packers in two of the last three playoff appearances.
