Few professional athletes have done more self-inflicted and unnecessary damage to their reputations than Aaron Rodgers. The good news for him is that the narrative will focus on what happens on the field in our football-obsessed society.
Regardless of the distractions Rodgers creates, the only thing that matters for many is what he can do for the New York Jets. If Rodgers starts at least 15 games, the Jets will be a playoff team. Yes, he’s 40 years old and coming off an Achilles injury. No one in the league history has played at an MVP level after reaching that age other than Tom Brady.
But Rodgers doesn’t need to be his vintage self for New York to reach the postseason for the first time since the 2010 season. He needs to be a vast improvement over the Zach Wilson experience. That is an easily attainable goal. The Jets should be in the hunt for the AFC East with a win total of 9.5 —one behind the favored Buffalo Bills and the same as the Miami Dolphins.
Of all the teams in that division, New York (7-10 last year) is the only one that has improved. Not only is Rodgers returning, but he will be quarterbacking behind a more talented offensive line, keyed by the free-agent signing of left tackle Tyron Smith and first-round draft choice right tackle Olu Fashanu.
Protecting Rodgers could help the Jets topple the Bills, who have won the AFC East four straight seasons.
Buffalo traded away star wide receiver Stefon Diggs, and Pro Bowl linebacker Matt Milano suffered a season-ending injury last week. Miami lost critical players on both sides of the lines in free agency: defensive tackle Christian Wilkins and guard Robert Hunt. The rebuilding New England Patriots could potentially be one of the worst teams in the conference.
The worst thing that happened to the Jets this off-season is more details on Rodgers and his dysfunctional family . He will never regain his pre-pandemic image, but the New York City media and fan base will only care about his one-the-field production. Rodgers has the support of what Pro Football Focus has rated as the league’s fourth-best roster . The last time he was surrounded by that much talent, Rodgers won back-to-back MVP awards in 2020-2021
That’s not all. New York has a manageable schedule. Sharp Football Analysis rated their schedule as the fourth-easiest in the league . The Monday Night Football season-opener at the San Francisco 49ers figures to be a loss. After that, there are winnable games against the Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, and Minnesota Vikings. The Jets could be 4-1 when they face the Bills at home on Monday Night Football.
Of course, these are the Jets. Bad, unexpected things tend to happen to them. No one could have guessed that Rodgers would play only four snaps. Head coach Robert Saleh has proven he can build a great defense. However, his career record is 18-33. Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett might have had his playcalling authority usurped if New York brought in Arthur Smith .
A lot needs to go right. But at least on paper, Rodgers has everything he needs to be the hero again.
The post If Aaron Rodgers starts at least 15 games, the Jets are a playoff team appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions .
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