New York Jets 2024 NFL Schedule: Release date, opponents, biggest games, and predictions

The New York Jets’ offseason is in full swing now that the NFL Draft and free agency are out of the way. From this point on, it's all about making the 90-man roster as good as it can be via OTAs, workouts, and training camp.

One key offseason aspect is hurling itself towards us over the coming weeks, as well, and that's the NFL's schedule release. We already know the Jets' 2024 opponents, but when and where they play the opposition is far more valuable than simply knowing who they play.

So, let's not waste any more time and go over everything we currently know about the Jets' 2024 schedule, and more.

Jets' Schedule Release Date

The NFL teased during the draft that schedules will be released in May, although it didn't give us an exact date. Based off the last couple of years, however, it should come out around the middle of May, as it was released on May 12 in 2022 and May 11 in 2023.

Once that comes out, we will update this with the Jets' exact schedule.

Home and Away Opponents

Games played at MetLife Stadium: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks

Away games: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals

Biggest Games on the Jets' 2024 Schedule

Every divisional game: The AFC East came down to the wire last season and while the top two teams, Miami and Buffalo, got a little worse this offseason considering their losses, the Jets have closed the gap thanks to some slick moves and a (hopefully) healthy Aaron Rodgers.

Jets vs. Texans: Last year’s darlings, the Houston Texans were riding high when they traveled to MetLife in December and thought they would roll over the reeling Jets only to get molly-whopped 30-6 in what might have been Zach Wilson’s best game as a pro. Neither team will take each other for granted this year when they face off.

Jets @ 49ers: In order to be the best, you first have to beat the best, and the San Francisco 49ers have been the standard in the NFL for the last few seasons. There is also a love/hate relationship with Rodgers and the 49ers ever since they passed on him in the draft in favor of Alex Smith.

Predicting Primetime Matchups and Week 1/Week 18 opponents

Which games will be primetime viewing?

Including Thursday night, the Black Friday game, Thanksgiving/Christmas, Sunday night, and Monday Night Football my guess is the Jets will get five primetime slots, including the regularly scheduled TNF matchup.

The Jets will get their mandated TNF game which can be any team, but Jets at Jaguars or Jets at Titans feels very “Thursday Night-y”.

The Jets made a plea with the NFL to host the Black Friday game every season, and while the NFL hasn’t agreed, they also haven’t said no yet. Considering last year wasn’t quite the matchup the NFL had in mind because of Tim Boyle playing QB, they might be willing to give the Jets a mulligan.

The 49ers game will certainly bring some gravitas considering the Rodgers/San Francisco relationship.

The Houston Texans game will be one that I could see getting a Monday Night slot considering what happened last year and the arrow is pointed up for both teams this season.

You can pick any matchup next year between the Jets, Bills and Dolphins and you are likely to see a good game with big stakes attached.

Also, don’t count out the Rams at the Jets as a primetime matchup as one of the best offensive minds in the game goes against one of the league’s best defenses.

Who are the Week 1 and Week 18 opponents?

I would love to see a matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers in week one, but I think the NFL might just get the season going with a bang and have the Jets hosting the Dolphins.

The NFL mandates scheduling division rivals in the last week of the year, and since two years ago it was the Dolphins and last year it was the Patriots, I’m going to say the Jets will play the Bills in Week 18.

Strength of Schedule (based off Vegas win totals, not 2023 record)

Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis does this cool thing every year where he ranks teams' strength of schedule based off Vegas' projected win totals for the upcoming season. He doesn't base it off the standard last-year's-record model and it makes a lot more sense, because of all the change teams go through during the offseason.

At the time of this publication, he hasn't updated it to reflect Vegas' updated, post-draft totals and I'll update this once the information becomes available. Regardless, Sharp has the Jets' SOS as the fourth-easiest. Only the Falcons, Chargers and Bears in that order, have easier schedules, as you can see below: