The New York Jets’ acquisition of former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has Rex Ryan sending a message to the AFC East, including the New England Patriots.
Of course, Ryan has a history with the Jets. He was the head coach of the organization from 2009-2014. The Jets finished in second place in the AFC East twice and went to back-to-back AFC championship games. The 2010 appearance came after a divisional playoff win against the Patriots by a 28-21 score.
Now, the Jets appear to be reloading with Rodgers in the fold. They also have a formidable wide receiver room with Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis and Rodgers’ old friend, Allen Lazard, leading the way.
To be fair, the Patriots have loaded up on playmakers of their own. JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Mike Gesicki were two of the more notable additions. Nevertheless, the Jets are certainly a formidable foe.
Ryan seemed giddy about this on Tuesday’s episode of “Get Up!”.
“Watch out, everybody. Here come the Jets. Here come the Jets,” said Ryan, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Adam London. “We haven’t had this type of quarterback since, maybe, ever — since (Joe) Namath. This is it. This is the missing piece for the New York Jets right here. Guess what, all you fans of the AFC East? It ain’t no fun when the rabbit’s got the gun. We got the gun right now. It is on. Our defense is better than yours, our quarterback’s better than yours. It is on. This is a great move right here. … They are going for it and they should. They have a playoff-caliber defense and now you got the quarterback. Watch out, the entire National Football League. We just put you on notice, and guess what? We’re gonna kick your butt. Here we go, Jets.”
The acquisition of Rodgers certainly puts New England in a difficult spot, as the AFC East features talented quarterbacks on all opposing teams. Rodgers will be looking to provide a spark to the Jets after throwing for 3,695 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in his final season in Green Bay.
