Last year’s problem might still be this year’s problem to a certain degree. Right after the New York Jets executed the trade to acquire quarterback Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers in April, the main discussion around the Jets’ roster was the offensive line. Rodgers barely played in 2023 and got hurt, and in fairness, the front office did a lot to put together a better group upfront this time around.

General manager Joe Douglas traded for right tackle Morgan Moses with the Baltimore Ravens, signed fellow former Raven guard John Simpson in free agency, then added veteran left tackle Tyron Smith. Finally, the team drafted tackle Olu Fashanu in the first round.

The line has certainly improved from the group which was 30th in ESPN’s pass block win rate a year ago. However, there are still obvious concerns. And it starts with what Tyron Smith can really deliver, and what’s the backup plan if he can’t be on the field.

Since 2016, this is how many games Tyron Smith has played per season: 13, 13, 13, 13, 2, 11, 4, 13. So Smith missed “only” four games in 2023, but this seems like a positive outcome based on what he had shown in the three previous years, and it would still bring significant issues for the offense in what’s equivalent to a month of football.

Tough practice
New York had a glimpse of that potential outcome during Monday’s practice. According to head coach Robert Saleh, Smith did not practice because he was “dealing with tightness in a lower extremity.”

As a consequence, it was probably the offense’s toughest day throughout training camp. Aaron Rodgers completed only four of eight passes, according to ESPN’s Jets reporter Rich Cimini, with a sack and an interception.

So far, rookie Olu Fashany has been the backup left tackle. The coaching staff plan has been to maximize his understanding of that position, even though Saleh didn’t rule out cross training him at right tackle at some point. As Tyron Smith is the projected starter at left tackle, it makes sense to have a viable alternative ready to go — and if it eventually becomes a longer-term issue, the Jets would have the possibility of adding a free agent like David Bakhtiari to protect his old friend Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers can certainly make the most out of a top-heavy wide receiver group, especially when Mike Williams is fully healthy. But for that to consistently happen, the offensive line needs to be healthy and hold up — without solid protection, it’s impossible to project a great performance by a 40-year-old quarterback coming off an Achilles tear.