Reconstruct each season, giving one Jet given an injury free season

Sorry if this has been posted before, but I was busy waiting for our off-season championship when I thought of Jermaine Johnson. The man is so hardcore that the league decided he could be held penalty-free. If he survived the whole season, would it have changed it? Would they have been competitive when Rodgers was obviously hurt? Would they have let them start Tyrod Taylor for till Rodgers was healthy? Would they have made the playoffs and got eliminated shortly thereafter?

I say yes, Jermaine Johnson would have gotten us to the playoffs, but we probably wouldn't have to give in to Hassan Reddick. We could even have gotten a better deal on Davante Adams.
Since the off-season championship seems far away (maybe a good sign), if we re-constructed the years and just made one guy healthy the whole season, how many Super Bowls could we have won? Is Mekhi Bechton one of them?

I think I started the game for myself in 1999- apologies to Ray Lucas. That year wasn't his fault.

Signing a Jet up for an injury-free season may only take one soul. It won't be mine, but it's something to think about.

 

I'll try to make it more interesting. The Jets had five wins but needed five more to win the playoffs. They lost seven games by less than a touchdown, and Jermain Johnson alone would not have won those five games.

Could Jermaine Johnson have helped the Jets get the W in week 4 vs. Denver or week 5 vs. Minnesota? We'll never know, but I say yes. Saleh doesn't get fired till the end of the season. The Jets' defense doesn't collapse as it did under Ulbricht, and Will McDonald benefits significantly from not playing across from Hassan Reddick. The defense should play roughly on the same level as the previous year.

With the defense playing better, the Jets feel Tyrod Taylor can step in for Rodgers when he could barely walk, maybe getting us a win or two and getting Rodgers healthier faster. The wins were there.

I liked the Pennington selection. From 2022 to 2007, the Jets made the playoffs all three times Pennington started more than 10 games. From what I remember, he also played hurt a lot in those non-playoff seasons.

It doesn't change anything. It's just part of my thought process of how far away the team is from winning next season.

 

To Triple down on my post, I asked Grok the question below. The answer is freakishly impressive, even though it doesn't agree with my fantasy scenario. If you haven't tried Grok, ask it a question. It's pretty incredible.

Would the Jets have made the playoffs in 2024 if Jermaine Johnson had stayed healthy?

It’s impossible to say with certainty whether the New York Jets would have made the playoffs in 2024 if Jermaine Johnson had stayed healthy, as it involves speculating on a counterfactual scenario with too many variables—player performance, coaching decisions, opponent outcomes, and random luck. However, we can analyze the situation based on the Jets’ 2024 season, Johnson’s role, and reasonable assumptions about his potential impact.
The Jets’ 2024 Season
The Jets finished the 2024 regular season with a 5-12 record, missing the playoffs in the AFC, where the seventh seed (the Denver Broncos) made it with a 9-8 record. The Jets started 2-1 but collapsed after a Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London, leading to the firing of head coach Robert Saleh and a 3-11 skid under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich. Their defense, a strength in prior years, slipped from elite to merely good, ranking 7th in yards allowed (323.9 per game) but struggling with consistency and pass rush after Johnson’s injury.
Jermaine Johnson’s Role and Injury
Johnson, a third-year edge rusher and 2023 Pro Bowler, was a key piece of the Jets’ defensive line. In 2023, he had 7.5 sacks, 16 quarterback hits, and 11 tackles for loss, plus a pick-six, showing his ability to disrupt offenses. In 2024, he played only two games before tearing his Achilles in Week 2 against the Titans on September 15, 2024. At that point, the Jets were 1-1, having beaten Tennessee 24-17 despite his injury mid-game. His season-ending absence left a gap at edge rusher, exacerbated by Haason Reddick’s holdout (he didn’t join until Week 8 and added just 2 sacks) and the offseason departures of Bryce Huff (7.5 sacks in 2023) and John Franklin-Myers.
Impact of Johnson Staying Healthy
If Johnson had stayed healthy, he likely would’ve continued his 2023 trajectory—say, 7-10 sacks, 15-20 QB hits, and stout run defense over 17 games. His presence could’ve:

• Bolstered the Pass Rush: The Jets finished 2024 with 39 sacks (tied for 17th in the NFL). Johnson’s 2023 output alone could’ve pushed them into the top 10, pressuring quarterbacks more consistently. For example, in close losses like Week 6 (23-20 vs. Bills) or Week 9 (21-13 vs. Texans), an extra sack or two might’ve swung the outcome by forcing punts or turnovers.
• Improved Defensive Stability: Without Johnson, the edge rotation leaned on unproven Will McDonald IV (5 sacks) and Micheal Clemons (2.5 sacks), with Reddick underperforming post-holdout. Johnson’s leadership and run-stopping ability (he had 55 tackles in 2023) might’ve kept the defense from fading late in games, a recurring issue in 2024.
• Ripple Effects: A stronger defense could’ve eased pressure on an offense led by an aging Aaron Rodgers (3,852 yards, 26 TDs, 10 INTs, but visibly less mobile post-2023 Achilles injury). Fewer three-and-outs might’ve given the offense better field position or rest, potentially flipping one or two games.

Could They Have Won Four More Games?
To reach 9-8 and match the Broncos for the seventh seed, the Jets needed four more wins. Here’s a look at their close losses where Johnson’s impact might’ve mattered:

• Week 3: 19-3 loss vs. Patriots – A blowout, but Johnson could’ve limited rookie QB Drake Maye’s time, keeping it closer.
• Week 6: 23-20 loss vs. Bills – A game with three lead changes; an extra defensive stop (e.g., sacking Josh Allen) could’ve sealed it.
• Week 9: 21-13 win vs. Texans – Already a win, but Johnson might’ve made it less shaky, preserving momentum.
• Week 10: 31-28 loss vs. Cardinals – Kyler Murray scrambled effectively; Johnson’s pressure might’ve forced a key mistake.
• Week 13: 26-23 loss vs. Seahawks – A tight game where a sack or forced fumble could’ve turned the tide.

Winning four of these is a stretch—Johnson alone couldn’t fix offensive woes (e.g., Rodgers’ inconsistency, O-line injuries) or coaching turmoil. Realistically, he might’ve turned two or three losses into wins, getting the Jets to 7-10 or 8-9, still short of 9-8.
Counterarguments

• Depth Issues: Even with Johnson, the Jets’ edge depth was thin. Reddick’s late arrival and the loss of Huff and Franklin-Myers meant opponents could’ve schemed around Johnson.
• Offense and Coaching: The Jets’ 5-12 record reflected broader failures—Rodgers’ 92.0 passer rating (his lowest since 2008), a porous O-line (50 sacks allowed), and Saleh’s midseason exit. Johnson couldn’t fix those.
• AFC Strength: The AFC was brutal in 2024, with teams like the Chiefs (15-2), Bills (13-4), and Steelers (10-7) setting a high bar. Even at 9-8, tiebreakers might’ve kept the Jets out.

Conclusion
If Jermaine Johnson had stayed healthy, the Jets likely would’ve been better—maybe 7-10 or 8-9, thanks to a stronger defense in tight games. But reaching the playoffs at 9-8 or beyond seems unlikely given the team’s systemic issues. Johnson was a difference-maker, not a miracle worker. The “what if” tantalizes Jets fans, but history suggests their 2024 fate was sealed by more than one injury.

 

It's the off-season. Besides make-believe rumors and make-believe mock drafts, it's what I had. Now, I shall try to refrain from further posting, and I hope this thread dies to your satisfaction.