A Jets’ Nightmare Scenario

After a much anticipated year, the New York Jets were ready to start a new chapter in their NFL history, one led by arguably one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time - Aaron Rodgers. As far as legendary quarterbacks go, the Jets have had very little experience. Maybe some would consider Joe Namath a Jets legend as he is still the only player to give the organization a taste of the Super Bowl, but other than that, the Jets’ history has been marred by one common error: the quarterback. In recent history, the Jets have interchanged from Zach Wilson to Joe Flacco to Mike White, trying to find the perfect fit. However the offense never seems to click. When the transfer window rolled around this summer and it was announced that Aaron Rodgers intended to play for the New York Jets, NFL fans around the world waited in excited anticipation to see if the Jets could truly turn their history around. Would this finally be enough?

Finally, the Jets’ long-awaited first game against division rival Buffalo Bills rolled around. NFL fans eagerly waited to see the first snaps from Aaron Rodgers and determine if the Jets’ strong defense would finally be backed by a solid offense. Many fans placed the Jets as Super Bowl contenders before the game even started. As Rodgers made his way onto the field, roars from the Jets fans deafened everyone in the arena - their savior was finally here. The first snaps went according to plan as the Jets successfully achieved a first down and began to storm into Buffalo territory. Hopes were as high as ever for Jets fans.

Then, on the fourth snap, Rodgers tried to avoid an oncoming Leonard Floyd and was eventually tackled to the ground. At first no one thought twice of the play other than it being a simple snap, yet Rodgers, after standing for a few moments, quickly fell back to the ground holding his leg. The stadium went silent as everyone recognized that position - Rodgers was injured.

Zach Wilson replaced Rodgers only 3.45 minutes into the game and left many Jets fans disappointed that they had come to see Rodgers and he was injured so early on in the game. Rumors quickly spread that Rodgers had torn his achilles tendon, and these rumors were eventually confirmed by an MRI detailing that Rodger’s had torn his left achilles tendon and would thus be out for the season. Head coach Robert Saleh is left with “a lot of emotions” for Rodgers and is in shock at such a nightmare ending.

Quickly, the fans’ attention turned to the future for the Jets. Who would the next quarterback be? Would it really be Zach Wilson again? Robert Saleh addressed these questions immediately and stated explicitly “Zach [Wilson]’s our quarterback.” So far, Zach Wilson ranks 33rd in quarterback rating for the NFL as the season has progressed, and he has not done much work to keep the Jets in playoff contention as many fans had hoped. The Jets have lost two games in a row since Rodgers’ departure, and it is more than clear that Zach Wilson is simply not the answer.

Rodgers, 39, intends to return to the Jets yet his age remains a limiting factor. Can someone of his age recover from such a terrible injury? His body is in weak condition from age and many seasons in the NFL and some fans are beginning to move on, yet only time will tell if the Jets can truly still count on this man to save their franchise.

Will Frank