New York Jets ceiling and floor for 2023

The New York Jets made significant strides as a team last season, but it still wasn't enough to snap the longest active playoff drought in the NFL. Even so, after making the biggest splash of the offseason, Gang Green is out to prove this isn't the same old Jets.

With the conclusion of training camp and preseason, here's the Jets' ceiling and floor heading into Week 1.

Ceiling: 12-5

Even with terrible quarterback play last season, the Jets could've been a playoff team, considering they won seven games and lost six contests by one possession. After adding future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers and a few of his old friends from Green Bay this offseason, 2023 is shaping up to be a championship-or-bust situation for the Jets. Per OddsChecker, New York has the seventh-best odds to win Super Bowl LVIII (+1800). 

Rodgers will have a surplus of intriguing weapons at his disposal, though none are more promising than wideout Garrett Wilson, who recorded 1,103 yards in 2022 to clinch the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. An improved rushing attack should also elevate the offense. The Jets signed four-time Pro Bowler Dalvin Cook to pair with Breece Hall, now fully healthy and ready to build upon the 681 all-purpose yards he totaled in seven games last season.

Ultimately, New York's star-studded defense, which allowed the fourth-fewest points and fifth-fewest yards last season, will dictate how far the team goes. Cornerback D.J. Reed has already set high expectations for this unit, boldly suggesting that the Jets can be a "historical defense" similar to the 1985 Chicago Bears or the Seattle Seahawks' Legion of Boom. If the Jets can consistently shut down the high-powered offenses they'll encounter, perhaps Reed's prediction will hold true.

Floor: 9-8

Despite the Super Bowl buzz surrounding the Jets, would it really be shocking to see a team with a 39-year-old quarterback and the sixth-most difficult schedule in the NFL underachieve? Realistically, the Jets aren't in an ideal position to begin the season on a high note and could struggle early on as a result. Six of their first eight opponents are teams that qualified for the playoffs last season, including both Super Bowl LVII participants.

And should the Jets endure a challenging start to the season, it'll be interesting to see how Rodgers responds to the inevitable criticism he'll receive from the New York media.

Luckily, the Jets have ample opportunity late in the season to bounce back, as they face just one 2022 playoff team over their final six games (at Miami in Week 15). But if they don't, the 2023 Jets will only go down in history next to the 2011 Philadelphia Eagles "dream team."