Like most Jets fans, I am no stranger to disappointment, and largely come to expect it. So it’s really saying something when I say that the (likely season-ending) Aaron Rodgers injury was one of the most dispiriting moments in decades of suffering as a fan of the team.
After an especially miserable decade of football, even by their standards, the Jets finally nailed the draft in 2022 and ended up with a young core of players that put them in a position to contend for a Super Bowl if they could just get their quarterback situation straightened out. We finally seemed to when we landed Rodgers and all indications from training camp were that he was poised for a great year.
But then, the worst-case scenario — just four snaps into his Jets career, he went down with what appears to be a ruptured Achilles tendon. He will at least be out for the season, but at his age, it’s questionable whether he’ll ever play again.
The Jets dramatic comeback victory over the favored Buffalo Bills demonstrated the massive talent on both sides of the football that gave fans reason to hope that even a competent quarterback could make them a contender.
In the end, though, the scouting report on the Jets proved all too accurate. They showed they had a swarming, dominant defense, incredible talent at the offensive skill positions (particularly running back Breece Hall and wide receiver Garrett Wilson), lots of moxie and drive to win. But also, they were taking a big risk going into the season with a 39-year-old quarterback and a porous offensive line that had never played together as a unit.
Now, we’re back to where we were last year — a promising team with lots of elements of a winner, but just no answer at quarterback. Perhaps they can squeak into the playoffs with Zach Wilson or another replacement-level quarterback, but we aren’t going to compete for a Super Bowl in a conference that includes so many great quarterbacks. Rodgers would have given the Jets a fighting chance in a playoff game against Patrick Mahomes. Wilson will not.
UPDATE: The worst has, in fact, been confirmed.
#Jets QB Aaron Rodgers does, in fact, have a torn Achilles, the MRI has confirmed. He’s out for the season after just four snaps. pic.twitter.com/Yt44roJvTs
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 12, 2023