Labelling the 2024 season as a huge disappointment for the Jets is unavoidable. A season that started with such hope and expectation will end without a spot in the playoffs for the 14th year in a row. Accepting and understanding the shortfall is the first step to change. 

But even in a season that has disappointed, there are plenty of positives to touch on. 

Garrett Wilson is well on his way to another 1,000-yard receiving season and Will McDonald has broken out in a big way with double-digit sacks. D. J. Reed has continued to be one of the best corners in football and Sauce Gardner is coming off a game where he held dominant receiver D.K. Metcalf to just one catch on four targets. 

John Simpson is one of the highest graded guards in football, Joe Tippmann has graded as a top-10 centre and has flourished as both a leader and player, whilst fourth-year linebacker Jamien Sherwood has already hit 100 tackles in a season for the first time. 

Sitting at 3-9, it’s easy to consider the 2024 season a complete failure; the ultimate goal was a championship and the team will fall well short of that. But the cupboard is by no means empty and if you choose to, you can find plenty of reasons to be optimistic going into 2025 and beyond.

One reason to be optimistic is the play of Olu Fashanu, the Jets first round pick who has been asked to step in for the injured Tyron Smith who was placed on injured reserve. Smith is playing on a one year deal and will have his future decided in the offseason, but the Jets may have found the franchise tackle that they’ve been looking for ever since D’Brickashaw Ferguson hung his cleats up after the 2015 season. 

It’s still early days for Fashanu who has played just 351 offensive snaps so far, but the early signs are promising, especially when you consider what he has been asked to do. Not only has he stepped in for Smith to protect Aaron Rodgers’ blindside, but he also stepped in for Morgan Moses at right tackle earlier this season and even filled in for Alijah Vera-Tucker at RG against the Texans, a position he’d never played in his life.

Through all of that, he’s allowed just 1 sack and 16 pressures and he’s coming off his best game of the season where he put on a pass-blocking clinic. 45 dropbacks for the Jets, 0 sacks and 0 pressures allowed by Fashanu who showcased both his speed and power in keeping the QB clean. 

Leonard Williams, Boye Mafe and Derick Hall all tried their luck against the powerful rookie from Penn State and all failed. All three of those players have 5 or more sacks on the season, but none of them were able to get close to Aaron Rodgers rushing from the right side. 

There were 45 pass blocking snaps to choose from, but I’ve picked out just three. If you watch the game back you won’t hear #74 called very often because he simply shut down anything and everything that came his way.

This first one showcases his speed and slide to get out to Leonard Williams (#99) and close off his angle to the QB straight away. Even though he gets pushed back he still has the power in his hands to direct Williams up the field rather than towards the pocket.

This one is against Derick Hall (#58) who just gets engulfed by Fashanu’s frame and is moved laterally with apparent ease. Fashanu’s vice-like grip means that if he gets his hands on you, it’s very difficult to disengage. Here, Hall is locked up.

This final one may be the one I like the most. This one shows situational awareness and blocking intelligence. The Seahawks try a stunt but after forcing the edge rusher inside to Simpson and Tippman, Fashanu quickly recognises the rusher coming around and with a well timed chip by Hall, picks him up with ease. 

If you’re looking for a reason to be positive this season, the play of Olu Fashanu should be right at the top of the list.