Entering the 2021 offseason, it was safe to say that a special teams ace wasn’t at the top of New York Jets fans’ wishlists.
While special teams isn’t necessarily a true “third phase of the game” – its importance is not equal to offense or defense, especially in today’s NFL with today’s rules – it shouldn’t be totally discounted.
Look at the Jets’ 2020 season as evidence to see how a bad special teams unit can impact a football game. The Jets had the league’s 29th-best special teams unit, according to Football Outsiders.
Joe Douglas addressed the weakness early in free agency by signing 27-year-old Justin Hardee to a three-year, $6.