The NFL’s longest current postseason drought has officially been extended into another year.
That’s because the New York Jets playoff chances are no more for the 2024 NFL season. The Jets (4-11) were been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention a few weeks ago, marking the 14th year in a row that they will not go to the playoffs. How long is that drought in league history? Pretty long, as you can see from the chart below, with data courtesy of the ChampsorChumps.us website:
Team | No. of Years | Start Year, End Year |
St. Louis Cardinals* | 25 | 1949-74 |
Washington Redskins | 25 | 1946-71 |
Pittsburgh Steelers | 24 | 1948-72 |
New Orleans Saints | 20 | 1967-87 |
Cleveland Browns | 17 | 2003-20 |
Buffalo Bills | 17 | 2000-17 |
New York Giants | 17 | 1964-81 |
Philadelphia Eagles | 17 | 1961-78 |
Detroit Lions | 16 | 1936-52 |
Arizona Cardinals^ | 15 | 1983-98 |
Green Bay Packers | 15 | 1945-60 |
New York Jets | 14 | 2011-present |
Six others | 14 | Various |
*Drought began when the franchise was in Chicago
^Drought began when the franchise was in St. Louis
So we have decided to look ahead at the 2025 NFL Draft, specifically wondering where the Jets might select in the first round. OntarioBets.com, your home for Ontario sports betting, used The Football Database to see where NFL teams have drafted the year after starting 4-11 since the 2019 NFL season. We only calculated the teams’ first selection positions, finding the average and median first pick positions for the draft the year following their 4-11 start.
Outcome | Draft Position |
Average | 16 |
Median | 5 |
The Jets fired coach Robert Saleh five games into the season, but the team is still left with 41-year-old Rodgers battling a lack of mobility and a defense that often cannot get crucial stops at important times. The Jets are good on defense just looking at statistics, as New York is seventh in the league in fewest yards allowed at 310.1 per game.
Sunday's game against the visiting Los Angeles Rams showed the imbalance for this team. The Jets allowed 242 total yards, just 110 through the air for Matthew Stafford. Kyren Williams ran for 122 yards and a touchdown as the Rams' ground game was effective. But he was the only thing the visitors had going on offense, so the defensive effort by the Jets should have been enough to win.
It was not. The Jets led 9-6 at halftime but were shut out in the second half as L.A. rallied for a 19-9 victory.
Our New York Jets betting guide has insights that you can use as the organization tries to rebuild after another lost season.
For teams starting 4-11 from 2019 to 2023, the average first-round pick position the following year is No. 16 and the median is No. 5.
This exact situation is familiar for the Jets, who also started 4-11 in 2021, 2018 and 2016. In the 2022 NFL Draft, they selected cornerback Sauce Gardner fourth overall and he has gone on to become a two-time All-Pro. They also chose receiver Garrett Wilson No. 10 overall that year, but our research only accounts for the first pick that each team made in the following year's draft.
In the 2019 Draft, New York took defensive tackle Quinnen Williams third overall. The two-time Pro Bowl selection is still with the team and has been a productive member of the defense. The 2017 Draft brought safety Jamal Adams, who had a few strong seasons to start his career before he left the Jets and started bouncing around the league. Ontario sportsbook apps will offer odds on 2025 NFL Draft props as next spring gets closer.
Looking at the average spot from our research, No. 16, the most recent year that the Jets selected in that spot was 2013. They took defensive end Quinton Coples, who ended his four-year pro stint with a career approximate value (AV) of 18, according to pro-football-reference.com data.
Up next for Gang Green is Sunday's road game at the Buffalo Bills (1 p.m. Eastern time) at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. NorthStar Bets Ontario Sportsbook lists the Jets as a 10-point underdog against the Bills, their AFC East rival.
USA Today Network photo by Denny Simmons / The Tennessean
Author
Jim Tomlin is an editor and writer specializing in sports, gambling and the intersection of those industries. He has 30+ years of journalism experience and his work has appeared in the Tampa Bay Times, FanRag, Saturday Down South and Saturday Tradition.
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