The story dominating the offseason for the NFL was the possibility of Aaron Rodgers joining the Jets for the 23’-24’ season.
Rodgers expressed interest in joining the Jets back in March on the “Pat McAfee Show,” when he said, “I still have that fire and want to play.” He officially joined the team in late April.
Jets fans hailed Rodgers’ arrival to the team as if it was the coming of a prophet. The Jets have struggled for years to put a team together and obtaining a tenured four time MVP as their new quarterback was a godsend to exhausted fans.
However, the Jets have and will always be the most star-crossed team in the league. The Jets played fellow New York team, the Buffalo Bills for Monday Night Football. Three plays into the nationally televised game, Rodgers suffered an injury to his achilles after suffering a sack.
Originally fans believed that their quarterback would only be out for a few weeks when his injury was first diagnosed as an ankle sprain; however, later examinations observed an achilles tendon rupture, putting him out for the remainder of the season.
New York City local Hanna Pfotenhauer said, “I was very worried. As soon as I saw him lying on the ground my heart dropped.”
“I just wish he was younger so I wouldn’t have to worry about if he’s playing again, and I personally wouldn’t hold it against him if he chose to retire with so many achievements already in hand and he’s aging,” Pfotenhauer followed up with.
Achilles ruptures are painful and can take a long time to repair because the heel has a reduced blood flow in comparison to other parts of the body, such as the neck. Rodgers’ age isn’t to his benefit either as the older you are the longer the expected recovery time.
Not only Jets fans, but throughout the league, people are anxious to know if Rodgers’ will play in the 2024-2025 season. He was already on the fence about his plans for the future at the end of last year’s season and it’s uncertain whether this injury will change his perspective on next year’s campaign.
For now, Zach Wilson will be taking the starting quarterback position for the Jets. Wilson was the previous starter for the Jets but played miserably last season, which played a major role in the addition of Rodgers.
The Jets made improvements to other positions during the offseason as well, most notably at halfback, adding Dalvin Cook (previously on the Minnesota Vikings) to the roster.
Cook totaled 33 yards on 13 carries, averaging 2.5 yards per run. Whether or not these improvements will push Wilson to play better, the Jets season will be nonetheless captivating.