New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers knows that he will eventually be returning to Lambeau Field when they retire his No. 12 jersey into their ring of honor. But, there is now a chance that he will return there as a player, too.
There is an extra matchup with the NFL now playing a 17-game regular season. Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, in 2024, the AFC East team that finishes in the same spot in the standings as the Green Bay Packers are going to be heading to Lambeau Field. If the standings don’t change, that team will be the Rodgers-led Jets.
With half of the regular season still to be played, things could certainly change in the standings. However, when taking a look at how things have played out to this point, it does seem like New York and Green Bay are on a collision course for each other.
The Jets are currently 4-4 while the Packers are 3-5 as both are in third place in their respective divisions. It is hard to envision either team making a run for the divisional title, but if any team was going to spoil this matchup, it would likely be New York.
With a championship caliber defense, the Jets have shown they can compete with any team in the NFL. Their inept offense is what holds them back, and could be the main reason they don’t make the postseason for the second straight year.
Only a half-game behind the Buffalo Bills, who are in second place, and 1.5 games behind the first-place Miami Dolphins, the Jets can jump up the standings, especially with three games remaining against those two teams.
On the other hand, the Packers look locked into the No. 3 spot unless something drastic changes. They are 1.5 games behind the surging Minnesota Vikings and three games behind the Detroit Lions, who have been one of the best teams in the NFL to this point.
Both the Jets and Packers have a lowly team behind them in the standings, with the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears pulling up the rear. If either team struggles they could fall into last, but a third place finish does seem like the likeliest outcome for both franchises.
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