The NFL released its schedule for the 2024 season, and one thing has caught everyone’s attention: the New York Jets have a lot of prime-time games. As it turns out, this was very intentional, as the league believes the Jets owe them one.
For the 2023 season, the NFL picked the Jets for five prime-time games. It was the first season of four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers with the team, and the franchise was featured on HBO’s Hard Knocks. However, just four plays into the Jets’ season, Rodgers suffered a season-ending torn Achilles, causing the league’s plan to backfire.
This season, the NFL is doubling down, giving the Jets even more prime-time games. The New York team will play six prime-time games, with all of them coming before their Week 12 bye. This includes Monday Night Football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1, Thursday Night Football game against the New England Patriots in Week 3, Monday Night Football game against the Buffalo Bills in Week 6, Sunday Night Football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7, Thursday Night Football game against the Houston Texans in Week 9 and Week 11 Sunday Night Football game against the Indianapolis Colts.
“I feel like the Jets kind of owe us one,” Mike North, the NFL’s vice president of broadcast planning, said about the decision. “When we had this conversation a year ago, we were all — all of us — all-in on the Jets. For that guy (Rodgers) to last four plays was disheartening for many of us. We feel like we can run it back.”
