The New York Jets are still clinging to hope that legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers can play this season. However, according to the latest inside information, Gang Green can only expect Rodgers to suit up for about three games down the stretch.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport has the report prior to Sunday’s action, where the Jets trot out Zach Wilson yet again…on the road…against the Bills.
It’s nothing short of miraculous that Rodgers could return so soon from the torn Achilles he suffered in Week 1. SpeedBridge or no SpeedBridge, Rodgers continues to defy public perception of modern medicine in the most extraordinary ways.
No but seriously, for a Rodgers return to even be worthwhile this season, that means Wilson has to not crash and burn. The former No. 2 overall pick is indubitably playing better this year than his first two in the NFL, in large part thanks to Rodgers’ mentorship. You just can’t sit there and realistically believe Wilson will have the Jets in the playoff hunt by December, though. There’s little proof he can get that done.
Even the most reasonable of local media types in the NJ/NYC area are having a hard time articulating just how trash Wilson, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, and this Jets offense has been.
You’ll seldom see a high draft pick get as long of a leash as Wilson has amid his third season as a pro. The Jets, in essence, tried to move off him by trading for Rodgers in the first place. Once the aging vet went down, there was literally no one else to turn to.
OK but in the event that Wilson has the 4-5 Jets at, say, 7-7 by the time Rodgers is back on Christmas Eve, a postseason berth is still possible. The schedule is manageable to close out. After hosting Washington, the Jets have a Thursday matchup at Cleveland and some backup QB, and hit the road to face the Patriots for the regular-season finale. Rodgers could definitely get a “W” in all three of those.
Look, Wilson seems like a good dude. He’s saying all the right things at the podium. Every week, we all sit and wait to see if the light finally flicks on in his head. It hasn’t happened yet. If ever there was a time for everything to click into place for Zach Wilson, it’d be right now. Perhaps with Rodgers’ return on the horizon, this whole team will be galvanized to fight for those inches Al Pacino emphasizes in Any Given Sunday. And perhaps Wilson will, at long last, look more like the guy the Jets hoped he’d be when they drafted him so high.
Until Rodgers is back in action, all Jets fans have to cling to are flashes of brilliance or close-but-not-quite’s from Wilson.
