Coming into the 2023 season, the New York Jets had legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. They thought they had finally addressed their quarterback issue, acquiring Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers in an offseason trade.
However, that dream quickly turned into a nightmare. On the Jets’ fourth offensive play from scrimmage, Rodgers suffered what turned out to be an Achilles tear. Usually, that kind of injury would end a player’s season, but the veteran quarterback has been adamant he would return to the field at some point.
“It’ll be a few fortnights,” was the most recent update that Rodgers provided during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. That has left a lot of Jets fans excited about what could be on the horizon, especially if Zach Wilson can help keep the team afloat and in playoff contention.
Monday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers was a major blow to their playoff hopes. The loss dropped them to 4-4 on the season and they now lost the tiebreaker to a Chargers team that will likely be fighting for a Wild Card spot along with the Jets.
Despite that setback, fans are still holding out hope that Rodgers will be walking down that tunnel in a few weeks and helping the Jets snap their 12-year playoff drought, which is the longest among the four major sports in North America. However, Matthew Neschis of Yardbarker cautions that there may be better courses of action for the franchise or Rodgers.
“Asking Rodgers — who will turn 40 in December — to fix an all-around broken offense is a recipe for disaster. While the future Hall of Famer has said he wants to play several more years in New York, that plan will likely change if he were to suffer another injury or setback. Behind the current O-line, he’d likely be running all over on most pass plays.
Even if New York is sniffing the playoffs come late December, they must weigh the benefits and risks of playing a franchise quarterback who’s not 100% healthy.”
Rodgers’ injury was suffered in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills in part because the offensive line was struggling to block. Things haven’t gotten any better in that regard as they are allowing pressure at an alarming rate on Wilson.
Putting this season potentially on the shoulders of a 40-year-old quarterback looking to make a miraculous return from an Achilles injury is a recipe for disaster for the Jets. If they want any hopes of contending with Rodgers in 2024 and beyond, they must protect him from himself and keep him sidelined.
Rushing Rodgers back to potentially save another season going down the drain would be organizational malpractice. If the Jets wanted to remain competitive this season, they should have been aggressive and sought out a replacement for Rodgers instead of turning the reins over to Wilson, again.
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