New York Jets ceiling and floor for 2023

After adding an abundance of young talent during GM Joe Douglas' tenure, the New York Jets acquired veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers this offseason in hopes of climbing the NFL ladder.

Despite optimism that this could be the year the Jets snap the longest playoff drought in North American sports, their chances of doing so remain uncertain. Here's our best guess at the best- and worst-case scenarios for the Jets in 2023:

Ceiling: 12-5

The Jets lost six one-possession games last season, all following the loss of rookie running back Breece Hall to a torn ACL. While Rodgers' addition enhances the Jets' offense, a healthy Hall can keep them in control with a steady running game. Defensively, New York returns the bulk of a unit that allowed the fourth-fewest points last season, highlighted by first-team All-Pro talents Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner and Quinnen Williams.

It will be a daunting first half of the season for the Jets (more on that later). However, there are winnable games mixed in with a Week 5 matchup against Denver and a Week 8 "away" game against the Giants coming out of the bye. Even so, with how the schedule is set up, the Jets have a fantastic opportunity to get hot just in time for a postseason run. (Complete schedule analysis here). 

New York will face four non-playoff teams from last season across five December matchups, with home games against Atlanta (Week 13), Houston (Week 14) and Washington (Week 16). The Jets will cap off their season on the road against Cleveland and New England, teams with sub-.500 records in 2022 but still formidable challenges.

Floor: 8-9

Is it excessively pessimistic to think Rodgers' addition will yield only one more win than New York had last season? There's no denying that Rodgers regressed in 2022 with the Packers, as he threw his most interceptions since 2008 (12) and posted his lowest QBR as a starter (39.3). 

If Rodgers can't recapture some of the form that led to back-to-back MVP Awards in 2020 and 2021, the Jets could stumble out of the gate. In its first 11 games, New York will face six 2022 playoff teams, including four within the first six weeks of the season. 

Add in a Week 3 game against the Patriots, who the Jets haven't beaten since 2015, and Gang Green has quite the gauntlet on its hands to begin 2023. With a sluggish start, the team could find itself out of playoff contention by mid-November, and if that's the case, HC Robert Saleh might be out of a job.