Aaron Rodgers’ Second Attempt at a Debut Season with the New York Jets
Photo Credit: The Ringer
(FLORHAM PARK, NJ) - Four snaps is all the New York Jets got out of Aaron Rodgers in the 2023-24 season. It was Hollywood-esque when the Jets’ quarterback went down after being chased by the Bills’ defensive end, Leonard Floyd, resulting in a sack. A play that would change the rest of the Jets’ season in seconds as Rodgers tore his Achilles in his left foot.
The future Hall of Famer sat on the turf of MetLife Stadium, looking up into the warm fall night while everyone wearing green and white had their hearts drop. That was the end of Rodgers’ first season as a New York Jet. A play that instantly grounded the New York Jets’ season.
When Aaron Rodgers was traded to the Jets from the Green Bay Packers, it was a celebration in and across the Meadowlands. Rodgers’ arrival in the Garden State was a breath of fresh air for fans of the New York Jets. For years, many had felt this franchise had been stuck in the dreaded quarterback purgatory, not being able to find a significant starter to take them back to the promised land, which Broadway Joe did all those years ago.
Before the Jets, Rodgers had spent his whole career in Green Bay, starting out as a backup to Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, later carving out his own Hall of Fame career as the starter for the Packers. In 2011, Rodgers, with two years as the starter under his belt, led the Packers to a victory in Super Bowl XLV, along with Most Valuable Player. That is only the tip of the iceberg.
Frankly, no one needs to check the numbers or watch film to say Rodgers was Hall of Fame worthy with the Packers. Just listen to the various young quarterbacks who start games week in and week out, naming Rodgers as one of their idols growing up. It says plenty about his time in Green Bay.
Like all good things, though, everything must come to an end. Rodgers was given a massive extension in March of 2022, worth up to $150 million, but frustration loomed over the Packers that upcoming season with his best weapon, Davante Adams, traded that same year to the Raiders. Rodgers was left with a young wide receiver core with a sprinkle of veteran presence but inexperience nonetheless. Frustration loomed over drops, mistakes, and poor results that year, leaving Rodgers with question marks not only around the team but also if he wanted to even step back on a football field next fall.
Decision day eventually came for Rodgers, and he expressed what he wanted his future to hold on a fresh spring Tuesday morning on the Pat McAfee show, in which he stated his intentions were to play for the New York Jets. This caused Jets fans to be elated until he was officially traded and presented, holding his jersey with the number 8 in Jets Green.
Despite the rumors throughout the season that Rodgers would suit up for the Jets after his injury, it never came to fruition. New York fielded numerous quarterbacks throughout the season to fill the Aaron Rodgers void in their offense. It started with backup Zach Wilson, then moving on to third-string quarterback Tim Boyle, then veteran Trevor Siemian had a run in the offense until moving back to Wilson to cap off the year. The Jets closed out the season 7-10 with the worst offense in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). They missed the postseason and left the 2023-24 season with more negatives than positives.
Bringing us back up to today, the Jets have done a good job correcting those negatives that came flying out of left field last season. One of the biggest problems last year was protection on the offensive line. On HBO’s Hard Knocks, the Jets were the team followed during training camp this season.
During a team film meeting shown in the series, current Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh was very disappointed during one of the first practices due to the offensive line’s performance. He stated how important it was that the Jets’ offensive line plays a huge role in allowing the team engine to continue moving early on in the offseason. He made it clear that the role would be more impactful and important as the season went on.
The Jets fielded a different combination of offensive linemen during every single game last season, mostly due to health. This never allowed for chemistry to build each week. It also helped opponents shut down their offense rather quickly in games.
This offseason, though, the Jets have spent big on their QB protection with the additions of former Ravens guard John Simpson, who only allowed one sack in 2023, and former Ravens right tackle Morgan Moses. He had previously spent a year with the Jets in 2021 before signing with the Ravens and coming off his best season in 2023. The biggest signing is 8-time Pro Bowler and 5-time All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smith, who left the Dallas Cowboys in free agency this offseason after being a main staple on their offensive line for 13 seasons with the Cowboys.
Another glaring problem for the Jets was the lack of weapons for the offense. Garrett Wilson is seen as the clear-cut wide receiver on this team. Despite the quarterback carousel this season, Wilson was still able to put up over 1,000 yards on 95 receptions. The same cannot be said for number 2 wide receiver Allen Lazard. He was signed by the New York Jets last offseason, following his quarterback to the big city and earning a 4-year, $44 million deal for his services. Lazard’s first season didn’t go as planned; he only had 23 receptions for 311 yards and 1 touchdown in 2023. Lazard ran 0.74 yards per route, the second-lowest among wide receivers in the last 5 years with at least 400 routes. Lazard’s yards per route was one of the 10 worst in the last 10 years. So much so, Lazard was considered a healthy scratch for 3 games this season.
The Jets have forced their hand to make it work with Lazard but have brought in a big reinforcement to help this offense. The Jets made a splash last week with the signing of former LA Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams on a one-year deal worth $15 million. Despite Williams’ durability concerns, he comes in as a huge number 2 weapon for Rodgers, not just in size but a great deep threat. He can stretch the field while going up for 50/50 balls, which in 2022, he was 11th among contested catch percentages at 57%. Williams adds another layer to the Jets’ offense. Despite his lengthy injury history, when healthy, he is a playmaker.
The Jets have also added some great depth pieces to an already stacked defensive unit, with more coming. The Jets have re-signed some value pieces in its secondary with safety Chuck Clark and depth corner Isaiah Oliver. They have also added more depth to a loaded defensive line with former 49ers Javon Kinlaw inking a one-year deal with the team. The Jets then re-signed veteran DT Solomon Thomas and depth interior rusher Leki Fotu from the Cardinals.
All in all, the Jets have done small business, but said business has already looked to make a difference to the many problems that reared their ugly heads last season. With seven draft picks, including the 10th overall selection in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, and more free agents rumored to sign, those could easily turn into more pieces to help this Jets team meet its ultimate goal. It will also help Aaron Rodgers not only stay as healthy as possible during a long football season but give him every chance to be successful while wearing the Jets logo on his helmet next season. The future Hall of Famer will finally be able to hear Gang Green cheer him on week in and week out.