The Most Jets Thing to Ever Happen: A Week One Opinion
September 11, 2023. Monday Night Football. Jets vs. Bills in New York.
This had to be the most anticipated Jets’ Week 1 game ever. The atmosphere at Metlife had never been crazier. Watching our Captain run out for the first time in green holding the American flag was like watching a movie. Every Jet fan was on the top of the world thinking that a Super Bowl victory was within their reach. That all came crashing down 75 seconds into Aaron Rodgers’ first drive as a New York Jet.
On Rodgers’ fourth play as a Jet, he was sacked causing an early exit for the Jets QB. We hoped for the best when Rodgers was helped off the field, but when he was put on the cart it was impossible not to fear the worst. As a Jets fan, all I could say was “This is the most Jets thing to ever happen to us.”
If you know football you know the Jets have been the laughing stock of the league for a little over a decade now. It has been 13 years since they have been in the playoffs, but it really feels like an eternity.
Rodgers was described as the savior for the Jets. The expectations this season were at an all-time high in the Big Apple, with the media attention from HBO’s Hard Knocks, which showed how much the NFL was investing in this team. From this attention, fans all over the league knew that the Jets could be serious contenders for the Super Bowl when they have a healthy Rodgers.
Going back to the game, we had to listen to Joe Buck and Troy Aikman announce that the backup quarterback Zach Wilson, who was described as the liability to the team just a year ago, had to try and rally the team to beat a great Buffalo Bills team. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing; I was in complete shock.
Even more of a shock was that the Jets were able to claw their way back from a 13-3 deficit, winning in a thrilling overtime game with a game-winning kick return from the rookie Xavier Gipson. Even though with all that excitement from the win you couldn’t escape the reality that the Jets would most likely not be led by Aaron Rodgers.
In the post-game interview with head coach Robert Saleh, he would explain that they’re “concerned with his Achilles,” and his comment on it was that “it’s not good.” This was a confirmation for all us Jet fans that he would most likely be out for the season with a torn Achilles.
The next few days all the media could talk about was what this would mean for Aaron Rodgers’ future in the NFL and how the Jets can recover from such a massive loss. It was confirmed that he had torn his Achilles, which is a season-ending injury, and would be at least a year of rehab if he can even handle it at his age.
An Achilles injury is described as one of the most difficult injuries to come back from especially for a person like Rodgers who is turning 40 next season. It has ended players’ careers in the past because of the difficulty and the pain they will endure during the recovery. It is something most people can’t fight their way through.
I believe that Rodgers has put way too much into this team to just give up because of this injury. He is such an extreme competitor and has been through season-ending injuries before. Saleh said that he would “be shocked if this is the way he’s going to go out.”
Rodgers promised he would be on the Jets for at least two years and I knew that he would not end his career on such a low note. He put so much into this organization already. I think as a Jet fan you can still have hope that he will be back in the green for at least one more year.
On September 13, Rodgers posted on his X account: “The night is darkest before the dawn. And I shall rise yet again.” This is something the Jet players and fans want to hear from their Captain only days after the injury.
It will be at least a year until Rodgers is back on the field, so now we have to focus on this season. That Monday night game proved the Jets have the defensive capability to compete against any team in the league. Now the leader of the offense will be Wilson who has been praised by coaches and players for his improvement over the offseason.
Most Jet fans want to pick up a veteran quarterback, but they have to acknowledge that Wilson knows this team well and is the best option. Regular fans don’t realize how much the 2-month training camp means for these quarterbacks. The NFL is not like Madden where you can pick up a quarterback and play with him the next week. It takes time for a quarterback to learn the system, and play at such a highly competitive level for a new team.
It is a scary thought: Wilson as the starter again, but hope is not all lost just yet. If he limits mistakes and plays well enough the Jets will win games. Without Rodgers, our expectations will be lower but I think playoffs are still very possible.
It is good to hear that Rodgers will still be with the team during this season and will be mentoring Wilson through the regular season. But now all we can do is hope Rodgers can fight through this, so he can recover and still be taking snaps for the Jets next season.
