One year has passed since Aaron Rodgers moved from Wisconsin to New York hoping to turn the fortunes of the Jets, but the franchise remains stranded at the same situation they had been for more than a decade.
Aaron Rodgers’ shenanigans suggest the Jets need to brace for another horror of a season

Aaron Rodgers first year with the Jets was more eventful off the pitch than on it (Image via IMAGO)

“Parade inside da city,” a jubilant Breece Hall tweeted after Aaron Rodgers announced he was ready to move on from Green Bay Packers and move to the New York Jets on the Pat McAfee Show in March 2023. 15 months removed from that day the Jets fans remain hopeful for a historic season but at the back of their mind remains a creeping sense of insecurity.

First, he will be 41 in December, and second, his sudden mood swings as if he were a pregnant lady. Rodgers’ addition to the dumpster fire Jets team with potential future Hall of Famers seemed like a great deal on paper. However, the reality is far from it.

The Gang Green hasn’t played post-season football since 2010 and hadn’t won the Super Bowl since Richard Nixon was still kicking in the Oval Office. In short, the green side of New York remained under the shadow of the Blue (The Giants) for a long time who in between won 4 NFL Championships.

Everything was about to change, according to the reactions of Jets super fan ESPN’s Mike Greenberg after Rodgers officially moved to New York and announced his undying love for the Big Apple. Yet even Greeny would think twice about boasting that the situation in the Jets locker room has changed.

Some would argue it may have worsened since October. The skeptics would point fingers at only one man Aaron Rodgers.

Aaron Rodgers’ horror time with the Jets?

Everything was going smoothly and the Jets fans were eager to see Rodgers play in the green. Head coach Robert Saleh gave the green signal allowing him to take reps in the pre-season. However, the dream of a winning season shattered in Week 1.
Aaron Rodgers' shenanigans suggest the Jets need to brace for another horror of a seasonAaron Rodgers and Zach Wilson (Image via IMAGO)
The Buffalo Bills drove to the MetLife Stadium from the meadowlands on opening day, hoping to rain on the Aaron Rodgers parade. The extra shot of adrenalin got the better of the Bills players.

On the very first drive, the Bills Leonard Floyd sacked Rodgers providing the turf monster with another sacrifice. He went down and stayed down holding his Achilles and told receiver Garrett Wilson, “Sorry, Kid.”

Greenberg’s expressions back home which were full of expectations had turned sour with fear and disbelief. The one guy who could save the franchise was out for the rest of the season.

From then on, a tug-of-war between Rodgers and the media began. They say a busy mind is a healthy mind but Rodgers was stagnant back home in San Francisco. His frequent visits via FaceTime on the Pat McAfee Show did little rather it created more confusion.

He would make claims about taking help from the Dolphins to even announcing that he had aspirations of playing again in the 2023 season. A reasonable individual knows that’s impossible because Achilles’ tears take 12 to 15 months to heal.

Miraculously he started attending Jets games who in the meantime had transferred power back to Zach Wilson. The BYU graduate was getting battered and bruised due to bad quarterback play, destroying his confidence. Eventually, Wilson became a martyr at the hands of choppy management.

Relationship with Zach Wilson went downhill

Saleh and Jets general manager Joe Douglas planned for Wilson to learn under Rodgers and then after a couple of seasons, the veteran would hand him over the starting quarterback role. It went so south that they had to cut Wilson from the team.

Even though Rodgers was on board with the plan, a leak from the locker room suggested it was all a charade. Both Rodgers and Saleh praised the former first-round pick but the damage was done and even owner Woody Johnson did not want to see Wilson in New York any longer.

Off-pitch shenanigans

Rodgers is famous for being a very polarizing figure in the NFL community. He was one of the first athletes to decline the Pfizer vaccine claiming that the government was playing a game against the citizens. Chiefs TE Travis Kelce became a constant target for Rodgers after becoming the face of the vaccine company and earning millions.

Then there are the extensive conspiracy theories. Famously, Rodgers told a CNN reporter that the Sandy Hook Elementary shootings never took place and it was set up by the government. His constant disdain for Joe Biden’s attributes as a President and that he can be a body double doesn’t exactly paint a great picture.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. even approached Rodgers for the Vice Presidency role. The Jets were unhappy with the development and warned him of turning the Independent candidate down. He obliged but remains an avid supporter of RFK Jr.

Moreover, Rodgers’ is a massive advocate of Ayahuasca and psychedelics which are banned substances in many states. His darkness retreat has been a point of contention for a long time even though it helped him win Four MVPs and a Super Bowl in 2011 with the Green Bay Packers.

Jets are facing the same problem once again as Rodgers missed the recent three-day Mandatory Mini Camp. While he accepted that it was unexcused but never disclosed the reason behind his absence. It led to several media outlets and gossip mongers claiming he perhaps flew off somewhere remote for another darkness retreat.

The level of a**kissing and brown-nosing that my organization continues to do, you'd think he's Jesus.

Jets fan and long-time NFL critic Craig Carton recently said

Will Aaron Rodgers remain with the Jets?

Jesus or not but he is the Jets No 1 quarterback. Behind him, there’s a completely new team of backups that includes veteran Tyrod Taylor and former Florida State QB Jordan Travis. Aaron Rodgers signed a five-year $112.5 million deal last year but his first season was a complete bust. It seems this will likely continue with the drama on the side.

One area where Rodgers remained consistent was his uncanny ability to create drama. From the talk about a vice presidential run with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to his unexcused absence from minicamp, the polarizing quarterback provided plenty of fodder for his critics. He probably will continue to make headlines because he is who he is.

ESPN’s Rich Cimini said recently

That’s the price Saleh and Douglas had to pay because they knew what they were getting into. FOX’s Colin Cowherd hit the nail right at the head saying the Packers must be relieved and are laughing at the Jets.