24. Chicago Bears (5-12)
The Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers in Week 18 and snap their losing streak. However, I feel like a lot of people across the NFL did think think the Bears could have flirted with double the amount of wins this year. Their undoing was not necessarily the roster talent as much as it was coaching.
Chicago needs to, in my opinion, hone in on Mike Vrabel or Ben Johnson to be their next head coach. Vrabel is a proven winner and knows how to get the most out of his players. Johnson could end up being the next great young, offensive-minded head coach to make it big as a head coach.
The Bears also need to invest more into their offensive line and have slowly slid down our NFL power rankings in 2024 after an encouraging 4-2 start. We'll see if this coming offseason can bring something more tangible for Bears' fans to latch onto.
23. New York Jets (5-12)
The New York Jets win what could be the final game of Aaron Rodgers’ career, beating the Miami Dolphins in Week 18. Obviously, the Dolphins will not be making the playoffs this year, and I would bet that the Jets thought they’d finish with the opposite record than they did. Now 5-12 after this win, the Jets hold the seventh overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
That won’t be in range for a top QB prospect, but I guess the Jets have other needs. The team fired Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas, so this team has already cleaned house. Aaron Rodgers may also retire, and if so, Rodgers is nearly the last of a dying generation of QBs that have retired in recent years.
Rodgers threw for four touchdowns in this win. And while he can retire following this season, I would not be shocked if he made a push to remain with the team in 2025. He still has something left in the tank if you ask me. But above all, the Jets do need to find a long-term solution at QB.