Admit it: you thought the Butt Fumble was as low as things could go. Then we got two seasons of Zach Wilson, so we all recalibrated our expectations to a new level of awfulness Now we’ve entered the Reign of Rodgers, which means the NFL aircraft otherwise known as the New York Jets is once again about to enter its final death throes, so buckle up, strap in and prepare to enjoy the ride.
Letting any player play GM, coach, judge, jury and executioner is bound to fail, and in this case the message is clear: J-E-T-S still spells M-E-S-S. The latest “Jets playing checkers while NFL plays chess” move is trading for Davante Adams, who is yet another running mate of Rodgers from his halcyon days with the Packers. If this sounds like plan, rest assured these are the Jets—which means it’s not, as Rodgers’ turnover-prone tendencies proved once again against Pittsburgh.
The Rodgers reunion tour is full of underperforming retread players
We all wondered exactly what Robert Saleh did to get himself fired a couple of weeks ago, aside from trying to do the impossible job of actually coaching Aaron Rodgers. There was speculation about all kinds of skullduggery, and now we know at least part of the answer: the firing was a part of a plan to bring in more of Rodger’s buddies from Green Bay.
The list before today has been lengthy, but the results have been unimpressive. There was Allen Lazard, a favorite target of Rodgers who mostly underperformed until 2022, when he caught 60 balls in Rodgers final year in Packerland to go with six TDs. He joined Randall Cobb, who was a fine receiver back in the day, but Cobb caught just 17 balls last year, and he’s currently exploring a broadcasting career.
Then there was Tim Boyle, the backup quarterback who couldn’t play quarterback when he was called on after Rodgers was hurt. Not to mention FoA (Friend of Aaron) and OC Nathaniel Hackett, the controversial coordinator whom Rodgers loves, despite his track record for mediocre results with anyone but Rodgers under center.
Davante Adams is a bit different, though. He was a star with Rodgers in Green Bay, but he’s 32, and once he left the Packers nest he landed in Vegas, which has been a turnstile of mediocre backup types at quarterback. Adams represents the final puzzle piece in the reunion tour, although there’s still the trade deadline if there are any other ex-Packers out there that GM Rodgers wants to add.
Aaron Rodgers is running the show
Now Rodgers is the ring master of the ongoing circus that is the New York Jets, and he gets to create the situation he tried so hard to set up in Green Bay. He has the owner’s ear, and it’s clear he can talk Woody Johnson into just about anything at this point.
Moreover, Rodgers doesn’t have to take responsibility for any of it. He knows the game of feeding innocuous post-game quotes to the media as well as anyone in the NFL, and every once in a while he’ll throw a teammate or a position group under the bus to make sure everyone knows he’s still running the show. He can go on Pat McAfee’s weekly circus to chat with his bro buddies, and no one will question him or call him out.
There’s still time to salvage this mess, but does anyone believe that’s really going to happen? They have a get-right game against New England up next, and that will allow the Jets to paper over some of the warts that have surfaced in the last few weeks—namely, that their offensive line can’t protect Rodgers, and the former superstar is going to take a beating and throw picks. Their upcoming schedule beyond the Pats and Texans isn’t that tough, but the Jets are a team that specializes in finding new and ever more creative ways to lose games.
It’s not what anyone imagined when New York traded for Aaron Rodgers, but the move reeks of Jets incompetence as we all wait for more holes in the fuselage to surface as the final downward spiral continues to gather momentum.