New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers during the 2023 season opener. Danielle Parhizkaran / USA TODAY NETWORK

NFL executive explains Jets' record-number of prime-time games

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 5/16/24

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the New York Jets will play more prime-time games during the first 11 weeks of the 2024 season than any other team in the last 54 years.

NFL Vice President of Broadcast Planning Mike North explained on Thursday why the Jets are getting that opportunity and why their number of times in the spotlight could grow later in the campaign.

And as Mike North, the NFL VP of broadcast planning, just explained on a zoom call, the Jets could get more prime-time games on the back end of the schedule if they're still relevant, thanks to flexing. https://t.co/aYPEWJk13p
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) May 16, 2024

NFL exec Mike North on the #Jets having 6 prime-time games in the first 11 weeks:

"That's an awful lot of prime-time games early in the season, but, obviously, I feel like Jets kind of owe us one. When we had this conversation a year ago, we were -- all of us -- all-in on the…
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) May 16, 2024

New York is tied with the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers for the highest number of prime-time contests during the 2024 season.

The Jets will face one of the toughest stretches in their schedule from Weeks 1-3. While their second and third opponents (the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots) aren't exactly daunting on paper, the three games will occur in 11 days.

About the Jets playing three games in 11 days, Mike North (NFL VP of broadcast planning) said the schedule-makers wanted #Jets-Patriots to be Week 3 Thursday game and they felt like because they weren't giving them a "gauntlet" early in the season — Weeks 2-5 are against…
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) May 16, 2024

The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt noted that Gang Green's slew of early-season prime-time affairs comes just two years after the group had 14 contests at 1 p.m. ET. Of course, that was before four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers arrived in town.

New York traded for Rodgers last April, but the Green Bay Packers legend suffered a season-ending torn Achilles in Week 1.

Hans Schroeder (NFL exec VP of media distribution) on the NFL schedule for 2024 on a call with the media: "We’ll finally get to see Aaron Rodgers in a season with the Jets. Hopefully."
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) May 16, 2024

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