There would be no discussion. Not a controversy, anyway. If all this determined whether or not it was Aaron Rodgers Back at quarterback, the Jets next season were what the soon-to-be 41-year-old could do on the field, Aaron Glenn And Darren Mougey would welcome him with open arms.
But that’s simply not the case. There is so much more to Rodgers than quarterback. That’s why now the Jets have their new head coach and general manager, they need to figure out if their new start also includes center.
There’s nothing simple about it.
Rodgers can still play. He can still play at a pretty high level. He’s not the player who collected four MVP awards during his two decades in Green Bay, but so few are. Up front: He’s an above-average starting quarterback at this point in his career. There is reason to believe it can be better than that.
With a 90.5 quarterback rating last season, Rodgers threw for 3,897 yards with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He completed 63% of his passes. He did this despite injuries to both knees, an ankle and a hamstring that were the most strain you can have with the muscle still attached to the bone.
Let’s put these numbers into perspective. His yardage ranked third in Jets franchise history, as did his touchdowns. His completion percentage and grade rank seventh among Jets quarterbacks in throwing at least 200 passes.
You might not win again because of Rodgers. But you can absolutely win with it.
There aren’t many alternatives that give an obvious boost to the former. Sam Darnold doesn’t come back. Vikings not traded JJ McCarthy. Daniel Jones And Derek Carr are not as good. The Jets should not be able to draft Cam room (Miami) or Shedeur Sanders (Colorado).
There’s a compelling argument to make it work given how healthy the Jets roster looks (line, backfield, receivers, defense). Give it one more time. Rodgers himself said his first option would be a third year with the Jets.
It’s never connected with this team.
There is so much more to Rodgers than what he does between the lines. He is very wise, justified given his career achievements. He wants things done a certain way. Among the reasons he joined the Jets was because they presented him with the opportunity to run the offense he wanted with the players he wanted. He demands excellence. He holds others responsible to a certain extent that some are not comfortable with.
When his opinions aren’t heard, excellence isn’t achieved, and accountability isn’t met…he speaks it out. Publicly, privately and nationally on The Pat McAfee Show. Sometimes these conversations stray from what the public deems acceptable. This leads to criticism. Criticism which then falls to the organization.
The Jets had no problem with any of this in Rodgers’ first two years. That’s when they felt he was going to lead them to a Super Bowl. A start that ended after four snaps and a sophomore year that ended with just five wins changed things.
Rodgers’ relationship with owner Woody Johnson is tense. It is believed that Johnson, while deferring his general manager and head coach, would prefer a complete organizational reset.
Glenn for Robert Saleh was part 1. Mougey for Joe Douglas was part 2. Rodgers would complete the trilogy.
The Jets are tired of hearing it. This playoff drought, now 14 years and counting, is the longest in professional sports. Misinformed coaches, general managers and quarterbacks, horrible drafts, rash decisions and injuries all contributed.
This team believes it has the players. Now they feel they have a coach to lead them and a manager to complete the architectural structure of the roster. In the NFL, however, it means nothing without a quarterback.
Maybe the Jets have one. Maybe they need to find one.
They need to understand this now.