A lot has gone wrong for the New York Jets during the 2023 season. The biggest issue has been the quarterback position, where the team has started four different players and gotten middling results.
The Jets had legitimate Super Bowl aspirations after acquiring Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers in an offseason trade. They hoped he would be their answer at quarterback, a position that has been a mess for the team for years. But, his first season with the team lasted four plays as injured his Achilles in Week 1 vs. the Buffalo Bills.
Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian all struggled after that, contributing to the Jets being 5-10. But, arguably the biggest issue with the team has been the performance of the offensive line.
There aren’t many, if any, quarterbacks who would have succeeded behind this group. Injuries have decimated the Jets in the trenches, as they were relying on backups at multiple spots. However, even their expected starters have struggled mightily.
One of those players who has struggled is left guard Laken Tomlinson. Tomlinson signed a three-year, $41.2 million deal as a free agent in 2022 as part of general manager Joe Douglas’s plan to revamp the team’s offensive line. Unfortunately, things haven’t gone as planned.
Tomlinson didn’t play great during the 2022 season, earning a PFF grade of 56.8. This season, he has been even worse, earning a 54.3. That is a far cry from the production he was providing previously with the San Francisco 49ers, where he earned grades of 75.9 and 78.8 in 2021 and 2020.
Just how bad have things been this season? As shared by The Jets Press on X, formerly Twitter, Tomlinson has allowed 48 pressures this season; no other player has allowed more than 41. The difference in pressures allowed between Tomlinson and the third-place player, who has 38, is the same as the third-place player and the 20th-place player, who has 28.
On the opposite side of the line, the Jets have Mekhi Becton, who had surrendered the most sacks in the NFL entering Week 16. That isn’t going to get the job done, especially when you have quarterbacks who underwhelm even in perfect conditions.
Expect some major changes to be made along the offensive line in the offseason again. Tomlinson could be a cap casualty as he has zero guaranteed dollars on his deal in 2024 but carries a cap hit of $18,880,000.
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