by Louis aan de Wiel
Aaaron Rodgers was supposed to be the Jets savior, but halfway through the season, its starting to look like the Hail Mary fell short. He was meant to be the missing piece for the Jets, but now he looks more like a question mark than an exclamation mark that would lead them to the promised land. So now the question remains ; is Rodgers ready to rewrite the script, or is this his grand finale?
This was meant to be the year the jigsaw pieces would fall together. The heartbreaking abrupt end to last seasons hopes and dreams for the Jets were meant to be a simple case of bad luck. Jets fans believed this season would be the turning point, with a star quarterback finally leading the franchise. After years of disappointment at quarterback, from Geno Smith to Zach Wilson, they finally had a four-time MVP and Super Bowl winner at the helm. He also wasn’t a washed up veteran looking to roll back the years. He had a 91.1 QBR in his final season with the Packers in 2022 which was as good as Lamar Jackson and better than Tom Brady, Stafford and Kyler Murray to name a few.
Entering this season the supporting cast was also strong as he had a game changing wide receiver in Garret Wilson and a electric running back in Breece Hall. In addition to that the Jets boasted one of the leagues top defenses along with one of the games best defensive head coaches in Robert Saleh. The Jets had gone all in but the expectation was that they would cash out big. After all everything was in place for a Super Bowl run. Except, reality had a completely different playbook.
The season started strong, with a competitive loss to the reigning NFC champions, the 49ers, and wins over the Titans and Patriots. Excitement surged as Rodgers played at an MVP caliber level, and the defense stifled opposing offenses. But starting week 4 is where the excitement for the Jets turned into dismay and disbelief. The Jets then proceeded to go on a 5 game loosing streak and as of writing have won 1 game in their last 8. The Jets and owner Woody Johnson have done everything and anything to turn the tide and to stop the bleeding. They have fired Robert Saleh, the head coach, which did absolutely nothing. They brought in Aaron Rodgers favorite target, the superstar Devantae Adams. This has also done nothing apart from one single joyous win against the Texans. They replaced offensive play-caller Nathaniel Hackett with Todd Downing, but it hasn’t made a difference. Today, they made yet another desperate attempt to resolve the situation by firing the general manager Joe Douglas. This entire situation reeks of an organization chasing its tail and still loosing.
So has Aaron Rodgers been at fault for the entire situation? Well…..yes and no. Has Aaron Rodgers been playing at the level expected of him heading into the season? No and he himself would admit that to you. He has uncharacteristically forced the ball in games that have led to turnovers. He hasn’t been able to get on the same page as many of his receivers. However he as not been the root cause of the issues in New York.Rodgers ranks 9th in the NFL for passing touchdowns and boasts a solid QB rating of 88.9, with more passing yards per game than praised QBs like Jalen Hurts and Jayden Daniels . He has also thrown only 7 interceptions which is better than nearly half the leagues starting QBs including players like Darnold or Jordan Love.
The real root cause of the problem has been a destabilizing cocktail of coaching upheaval, mistakes and a horrible run game. The Jets repeatedly shoot themselves in the foot, ranking 6th in dropped passes, 10th in penalties, and 8th in missed tackles. They’re not just shooting themselves in the foot- they’ve emptied the whole clip, reloaded and started aiming at the other foot. Its clear that Rodgers isn’t the root of the chaos, but he has planted a few seeds of it himself.
So where does this leave Rodgers? Barring a miracle, the Jets wont make the playoffs but at the same time they are good enough to win a few games along the way. This means that the Jets are likely not to have a high enough draft pick to select one of the top quarterback prospects in the draft. This leaves them in a tough situation. Are they so desperate to move on from Rodgers that they are willing to give up draft capital and players to move up in the draft just to get a quarterback in a class that doesn’t have a true generational talent in my opinion at that position. There wont be any strong QBs in free agency either which leaves the Jets with a unfortunate conundrum.
Rodgers will also face a tough decision this off-season. His options are not exactly appealing. Option 1 is to remain with the Jets. However, this is completely up to the Jets and who knows what type of upheaval they might face in the summer. The next option is perhaps the Las Vegas Raiders. They are in desperate need for a quarterback and the allure of Las Vegas is intoxicating. However they are not built for success and they are a mess of a organization like the Jets. They will also have a high draft pick which means they most likely will favor of quarterback for the future not just one year. The Cowboys are also a option. As long as Mike McCarthy stays, Rodgers has the chance to play for his former coach again along with a strong team around him that has the potential for a deep playoff run. The one issue is that they already have Dak Prescott who is tied to a huge long term contract. The other team in New York, the Giants, is also a option. Without Daniel Jones they lack a starting quarterback and have a exciting group of young players like Nabers and Tracy on offense.. There is then one more option. The unthinkable option. Could Aaron Rodgers complete a Brett Favre-esque career and go to the Minnesota Vikings the hated enemy of the Packers? This is the most unlikely option but stranger things have happened. Who knows how J.J McCarthy looks coming back from the injury and Sam Darnold is likely a one season wonder. They are in win-now mode which Rodgers would fit and have one of the brightest head coaches in the game, Kevin O’Connell.
The future for both Rodgers and the Jets remains uncertain. For the Jets, this season is yet another disappointment, and the early-season excitement has vanished. For Rodgers, this season will be the most disappointing of his career and yet another reminder that father time catches up with everyone. The lights are still on, but is Rodgers ready to leave the stage or steal the spotlight one last time? Only he knows.
Legacy Play 