When Aaron Rodgers joined the New York Jets last spring after months of rumors, the hype train was in full swing, with many experts believing the Jets were on track to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
But after four games in Week 1 of last season, everything changed. Rodgers suffered an Achilles tendon injury that required surgery. That ended the Jets’ supposed dream season. All the hype of the last six months was gone in an instant.
With NFL training camps about to begin, Rodgers is ready to return and the hype machine is back in gear. Even ESPN editor-in-chief Mike Clay believes the Jets will win the Super Bowl with the 40-year-old quarterback at the helm.
But is all the hype too much this time?
“The best thing we can do is keep our heads down and, like I said, go to work. All that good feeling in the offseason doesn’t matter. We have to win football games,” Jets head coach Robert Saleh said, according to FanNation’s Jets Country.
There’s no denying that the Jets have talent in every area, especially on defense. What they’ve been lacking for a long time is a quarterback. Rodgers’ resume speaks for itself. He’s a Super Bowl winner and MVP, four-time league MVP, four-time All-Pro, ten-time Pro Bowl player, and the list goes on.
But pinning the team’s hopes on a player fresh off one of the worst injuries in sports may be a bit over the top. Some would say Rodgers’ decline began in his final year with the Green Bay Packers.
In 2022, the Packers finished the season 8-9 behind Rodgers. They missed the playoffs, and many of Rodgers’ stats deteriorated across the board. His pass completion percentage, passing yards, touchdowns, yards per game, passer rating, and QBR all dropped significantly compared to the previous two MVP campaigns.
Expecting Rodgers to come back from a horrific season-ending injury and get back to who he once was is a lot to ask. Rodgers was great and is undoubtedly one of the best to ever play in the NFL. But Tom Brady was an anomaly. Not every quarterback can play at a high level in his 40s.
Rodgers returning and playing a full season would be a win. If the Jets win enough games to make the playoffs and have a run, that’s a bonus. But hoping that Rodgers will lead that comeback and lead the Jets to the promised land is asking way too much.
