As the entire football world knows, the worst fear became a reality for Aaron Rodgers yesterday as an MRI confirmed that he tore his Achilles tendon, and his season is officially over.
If you still can’t believe what happened, trust me, you’re not alone.
Now, the New York Jets are shifting their focus and putting their faith in young and troubled quarterback Zach Wilson. (This is not something Jets fans ever thought they’d be saying before 2025 at the earliest.)
“I don’t know why people are trying to put an obituary under our team name,” head coach Robert Saleh told reporters during a Zoom call.
The Jets, who were banking on Rodgers to lead them to the Super Bowl, are now looking to their 24-year-old former first-round pick to lead the way.
“I do want to make it very clear: Zach’s our quarterback,” Saleh emphasized. “We’ve got a lot of faith in Zach. This is Zach’s team, and we’re rolling with Zach.”
In other words, Saleh is trying his best to boost Wilson’s confidence and show him that the organization believes in him, even though that’s probably not true.
According to reports, the Jets are exploring all of their quarterback options and have inquired about both Carson Wentz and Nick Foles.
BREAKING: The New York #Jets have started to call veteran quarterbacks, the list includes legendary #Eagles free agent quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Nick Foles, league sources tell @_MLFootball.
New York is looking at all options to attempt to help with the loss of Aaron… pic.twitter.com/hVF2ExSvTO
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) September 12, 2023
Despite their public confidence in Wilson, the Jets would be fools not to put the best possible quarterback on the field in Rodgers’ absence. As we all saw Monday night, they are a win-now team with a win-now defense. (Although, they sure need to get their offensive line figured out.)
It was the surrealist of scenes when Rodgers was injured just four plays into the Jets first offensive series of the season. Incredible.
This injury has prompted speculation about Rodgers’ future, given his age (39), the severity of the injury, and the long and grueling rehab that lies ahead.
However, it’s nearly impossible to imagine Rodgers going out like THIS.. You would think that he’s a virtual lock to be back on the field next season and run this whole thing back from the top.
(On a side note, if the below report from The Athletic is true, that would greatly stoke the flames of frustration from both Rogers and the entire Gang Green fan base over what happened.)
𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧: Aaron Rodgers reportedly expressed to the #Jets coaching staff that he wasn’t a fan of play-calls that involved cut blocks from the OL due to not being able to extend the play and having to get the ball out quickly, via @ZackBlatt and @DMRussini
Rodgers suffered… pic.twitter.com/pIkF59zvhQ
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) September 12, 2023
“We all want him to be connected, and I think he wants to be here,” Saleh said, expressing the team’s desire to keep Rodgers involved during his rehabilitation.
The Jets will now rely on Wilson, who had a challenging rookie season and was benched twice. The original plan was for Wilson to learn from Rodgers for a couple of years before reassuming the starting role. However, Rodgers’ injury has accelerated this process.
Wilson’s performance on Monday night was mixed, with moments of flash, but also a costly amateurish interception. Nevertheless, Saleh praised Wilson’s development, noting that “everything about him is just so much different than a year ago.”
Rodgers’ injury has also ignited a debate about the safety of turf surfaces, particularly at MetLife Stadium, where the Jets (and Giants) play. Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay criticized the field’s quality, calling for real grass.
Saleh, however, believes Rodgers’ injury wasn’t caused by the turf, stating: “That was kind of a forcible [injury]. I think that was trauma induced. .I do know the players prefer grass, and there’s a lot invested in those young men.”
Before his injury, Rodgers had expressed his preference for grass but praised MetLife Stadium’s artificial surface as one of the best he had encountered.
What do you think the Jets should do at quarterback?
They will most likely stick to their word and go with Wilson for at least this week’s game against the Cowboys in Dallas (ouch).
Assuming Wilson doesn’t set the world on fire, would you be more confident handing the keys off to a veteran quarterback such as Wentz, Foles, Matt Ryan, etc?