Protecting Aaron Rodgers at the top of Jets' offseason list

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Playing his first round of golf since Achilles surgery in September, Aaron Rodgers fired a hole-in-one a few days ago at the exclusive Shadow Creek course in Las Vegas. His playing partners were offensive linemen Connor McGovern, Max Mitchell and Chris Glaser, instantly qualifying it as the New York Jets‘ best quarterback-offensive line moment in quite some time.

Yes, it was another one of those seasons for the offensive line — too many breakdowns, not enough protection and an alarming number of injuries. It was a repeat of 2022 and 2021 and … well, you can just keep rolling back the calendars.

General manager Joe Douglas, who has failed to deliver the kind of offensive line he promised upon his hiring in 2019, vowed to take a hard look at the past, present and future of the line. This might be his final crack at it, with 2024 shaping up as a now-or-never season for the current regime and its grand Rodgers experiment.

“Obviously, another big reflection point [is] the offensive line, and going back and thinking about what’s worked, what hasn’t worked,” Douglas said at the end of the season. “Obviously, we’ve invested a lot of resources in that position.”

The Jets are one of four teams that have used two first-round picks on linemen since 2020, Douglas’ first draft. They’ve spent $165 million on the line, well above the league average over that span, according to Over The Cap. But the results haven’t matched up. Not even close.

Since 2020, the Jets rank 29th in sacks allowed (tie), 26th in pass block win rate, 20th in yards per rush and 32nd in run block win rate, per ESPN Stats & Information data. Over that same span, which covers 67 games, they have started 37 combinations — a staggering lack of continuity that no doubt has contributed to the struggles.

“They’re terrible,” said a veteran personnel executive who has studied the Jets.

Oh, did we mention they’ve also had three line coaches and three offensive systems?

This isn’t how Douglas envisioned it at the start, when he inherited a depleted roster in June 2019. At his introductory news conference, Douglas — himself a former collegiate lineman — said the offensive line always would be a priority. He declared, “This is a game of wills, and we’re going to try to build a team that can impose their will on other teams, and to do that you have to be strong up front.”

Over the past 67 games, the Jets haven’t started the same five linemen for more than eight consecutive games and have rushed for at least 155 yards in back-to-back games only once. It’s no wonder their record is 20-47, second-worst in the NFL.

The low point occurred in the 2023 opener, when Rodgers tore his left Achilles on a first-series sack by Buffalo Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd. He beat left tackle Duane Brown, whose failed cut block resulted in the cut-block technique being removed from the playbook. The play, one of the darkest moments in team history, served as a harbinger.

Reflecting on another disappointing season, Douglas lamented the rash of injuries, an annual issue. The Jets lost guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (Achilles) and center McGovern (knee) to season-ending injuries, and Brown (groin) missed eight straight games before returning in a backup role. The Jets gambled that Brown, 38, coming off shoulder surgery, could hold up one more season — a decision that backfired quickly.

The injury plague was so profound that seven players started at right guard.

“I feel like I spend so much time trying to prevent the storm from actually coming when it comes to injuries,” said Douglas, who created a sports-performance department in 2021 — a major investment designed to curtail the injury rate.

Douglas issued a minor mea culpa, saying he should’ve carried 10 linemen on the opening-day roster instead of nine — more injury insurance. In the grand scheme, that would’ve been akin to having an extra life preserver on the Titanic. The organization is conducting a deep dive into the offensive line injuries, looking for ways — i.e., altering training and practice regimens — to keep the big fellas healthy.

The Jets’ chances of snapping their 13-year playoff drought hinge on their ability to protect 40-year-old Rodgers, who acknowledged as much at the end of the season: “We had a lot of injuries up front, so we have to shore up the offensive line. That’s important.”

Trying to build chemistry (and just have a good time), Rodgers organized an offensive line trip to Vegas, where 11 players joined him last weekend. They took in the sights, including a trip to a Vegas Golden Knights hockey game. They took a group photo in their suite, posted by guard Wes Schweitzer on his Instagram.

Aaron Rodgers organized an offensive-line trip to Vegas, where they attended a Golden Knights game. Looks like an excellent turnout. 📸Wes Schweitzer IG. #Jets pic.twitter.com/UK9rXJfhaa

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) January 22, 2024

Realistically, many of the players in the photo won’t be on the team in 2024. Left tackle Mekhi Becton and McGovern are pending free agents, and left guard Laken Tomlinson — who hasn’t missed a snap since signing in 2022 — could be a cap casualty because of his bloated $18.9 million cap charge. Brown, not pictured, is a free agent and could retire. The only sure-thing starters are Vera-Tucker (guard or tackle) and Joe Tippmann (center or guard).

“I feel like we do have a few cornerstone players,” Douglas said.

Becton was projected as one of those guys when he was picked 11th overall in 2020, but his knee-injury history (34 games missed since 2021) has slowed his development. He changed the narrative in 2023, missing one game, but he allowed 12 sacks, according to Next Gen Stats. The Jets likely will let him hit the open market. Becton, 24, expects to garner significant interest.

“Yeah, I think there’s a lot of people that have been watching and keeping a close eye on me,” he said. “I would love to come back home [to the Jets], you know what I mean? But if they don’t want me, it is what it is.”

Like Becton, Vera-Tucker was chosen in Round 1 (2021), but his rapid ascent was disrupted by a torn pectoral muscle and a torn Achilles. As a result, he missed 22 games in 2022 and 2023. When healthy, he’s considered the team’s best lineman.

Look for the perpetual rebuild to continue this offseason. With the 10th pick in the draft, Douglas could have a shot at one of the top tackles, Joe Alt (Notre Dame) or Olumuyiwa Fashanu (Penn State). In his first mock draft, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has the Jets selecting Fashanu, who would be a Day 1 starter at left tackle.

No one will be surprised if they pick another lineman. They’ve drafted six since 2020, but that pales in comparison with the New England Patriots (10), Green Bay Packers (nine) and Chicago Bears (nine). Douglas has yet to hit on a middle-rounds pick, and those are often the lifeblood of an offensive line. As a result, he will have to pour more money into free agency.

The tackle market is thin, with Jonah Williams (Cincinnati Bengals), Tyron Smith (Dallas Cowboys), Andrus Peat (New Orleans) and Jermaine Eluemunor (Las Vegas Raiders) among the top names. It’s thin because teams typically don’t let their best linemen out of the building. The Jets have failed to master the draft-and-develop technique. The last draft pick to get a second contract from them was guard Brian Winters, a third-round choice in 2013.

“They’ve got to get into free agency,” the personnel executive said. “They don’t need stars, they just need solid guys — tough guys, high-IQ guys. They need to sign a couple of those players for B money, not A money. Everywhere else, they’re fine. It’s easier to fix one thing than three things.”

Douglas, entering his fifth offseason with one year left on his contract, is under tremendous pressure to fix his broken offensive line. He knows what must be done. As the executive said, “No man sees life clearer than a dying man.”