NEW YORK — After weeks of publicly saying all the right things, Aaron Rodgers finally acknowledged that he and the Packers are headed for a divorce.
As a result of the messy breakup, Rodgers told “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday afternoon that he intends to play for the Jets next season. He isn’t ready to retire, he is ready to prove a point.
The tipping point for the superstar quarterback was finding out the Packers were apparently looking to ship him out without his knowledge.
But as a hip-hop artist Macklemore once said, one man’s trash is another man’s come-up. As the details of the trade continue to be worked out between the Jets and Packers, Gang Green hopes Rodgers is the key to coming out of years of being in the NFL abyss.
The Jets need Rodgers as much as Rodgers needs the Jets at this point. Both sides have something to prove to others in the league and to themselves.
For the Jets, it’s simple. They desperately need a veteran quarterback who can help them keep up with the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen in a stacked AFC.
Last season, the Jets defense kept them in games. Gang Green was fourth in the league in yards allowed (311.1 per game) and points allowed (18.6). However, the defense can only do so much and Robert Saleh’s club lost many close games because they were completely overmatched at the game’s most important position.
Three different quarterbacks started games for the Jets last season for an offense that finished 25th in total offense (318.1 yards per game) and 29th in points (17.4). That doesn’t even include Chris Streveler, who played in the second half of the Jets' loss against the Jaguars last December after being promoted from the practice squad.
Would the Jets be a Super Bowl contender with Rodgers?
That remains to be seen, but Rodgers would at least give them a puncher’s chance, especially in a division where the Dolphins have improved and the Bills are still the top dog until proven otherwise. And then there’s the pesky Patriots, who have owned the Jets in recent years (winning 14 consecutive games).
Whenever the expected trade for Rodgers becomes official, it will be a game-changing moment for the long-suffering franchise. He brings instant credibility to the Jets, something the organization has lacked for more than a decade.
Rodgers’ presence alone will be a huge boost for a franchise that has the longest current postseason drought in the NFL (12 seasons and counting) and has had little postseason success since the turn of the millennium. Since 2000, the Jets are 6-6 in playoff games. Gang Green has just 12 postseason wins in franchise history, dating back to 1960.
Since he became a starting quarterback in 2008, Rodgers has a 12-10 record in the playoffs, including a Super Bowl championship in 2010. Although he has only won one title, Rodgers would bring a playoff culture to a Jets franchise that’s had to watch their big brother, the Giants, win four Super Bowls since they last appeared in one.
During his historic career, Rodgers has won four NFL MVP awards (2011, 2014, 2020-21), been named to five All-Pro teams and 10 Pro Bowls while throwing for over 4,000 yards 10 times. The Jets have never had a quarterback like him in their 63-year history (Joe Namath threw more picks than TDs and Brett Favre never really wanted to be a Jet) and they’ve only had one quarterback — Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2015 — throw for at least 30 touchdowns in a season.
Adding Rodgers will also make emerging young talent like Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson better players. He could also help Zach Wilson, who was benched multiple times for poor play last year. Having someone like Rodgers with his expertise and knowledge of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett’s system is invaluable.
For Rodgers, he needs this moment too as he has something to prove at 39 and in the twilight of his career. After winning back-to-back MVPs in 2020 and 2021, Rodgers had a down year in 2022. He threw for 3,695 yards and 26 TDs, but tossed more interceptions (12) than in any season since his first year as the Packers’ starting quarterback.
Last season, Rodgers dealt with a broken thumb and injuries to his ribs. Green Bay’s offense also struggled with young players in its offense — especially at wide receiver after trading away Davante Adams — and finished 8-9 and out of the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
The Packers probably would have gotten rid of Rodgers sooner if not for his back-to-back MVPs in 2020 and 2021. In 2020, Green Bay traded up to select Jordan Love in the first round. Much like how the Packers wanted to move on from Favre to Rodgers in 2008, they’re now ready to move on to Love 15 years later.
Rodgers had a down season last year, and some critics doubt he can return to that level. The Packers apparently are among those who think Rodgers doesn’t have another Super Bowl run in him, because otherwise why cut bait with an established quarterback for an unknown Love?
This will be an opportunity for Rodgers to have his Peyton Manning/Tom Brady moment late in his career. Both Manning and Brady played most of their careers with one franchise with whom they won a championship and then claimed a Super Bowl with another as aging veterans.
Rodgers could play two seasons with the Jets and become a Big Apple legend. People here still talk about Namath and his win in Super Bowl III. Heck, they’re still talking about the back-to-back AFC Championships Rex Ryan led them to in 2009 and 2010. If Rodgers were to get the Jets to the playoffs and anywhere close to reaching the Super Bowl, he could have his number retired by two different teams.
For the Jets side, there’s undoubtedly a risk to acquiring Rodgers. Could the 2022 season be a sign of things to come? Might Rodgers play only one year?
But from their perspective, the possible reward is worth the risk for an organization and coaching staff that knows they need to win in 2023 or else significant changes could occur.
