The New York Jets are making a bad decision going with Aaron Rodgers
The only thing Jets fans have wanted for a decade running is a franchise-leading quarterback. They’ve gone through spurts with Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Sam Darnold, Zach Wilson, and the list goes on and on. None of these QB’s have worked out, as the front office in East Rutherford has been drafting poorly, and has failed to attract a top free agent. However, this offseason may be different. Aaron Rodgers has now stated that he “intends to play for the New York Jets”, which is the best news the Jets have heard in forever. Trading for the future hall of famer surely must get this team to the promise land, right?
Aaron Rodgers, as we know, didn’t have one of his best seasons last year. Granted, he lost All Pro wideout Davante Adams. Rodgers threw for 3,695 yards, 26 TD’s, and 12 INT’s, with the lowest QBR of his career since becoming a starter (91.1). I get it, he didn’t have much help, but the man is 39. We’ve already seen the best of him throughout his career, when he had receivers like Jordy Nelson, prime Randall Cobb, and Davante Adams. In New York, there are up and coming receivers in Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore, but they aren’t going to have a connection better than what Rodgers had in Green Bay.
What’s to come for Rodgers…
When we look at the competition in the AFC, it is as stacked as can be. The defending super bowl champs in a division with a young Chargers team who just got to the playoffs. Burrow’s Bengals, Deshaun Watson with a full offseason with the Browns, and then comes the AFC East. The Buffalo Bills, who are always a Super Bowl contender now with Josh Allen, along with the Miami Dolphins, who just acquired lockdown cornerback Jalen Ramsey. The Jets could definitely compete with these teams, but can they go far? They have an outstanding defense, but having to go up against offenses with Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle twice a year takes a toll on them. For New York, the offensive side of the ball virtually has no veterans outside of Aaron Rodgers, and newly acquired Allen Lazard. Coming down into clutch situations, Rodgers isn’t going to have that “Davante Adams” type of receiver to rely on in one on one coverage. We saw how that turned out this year, with Green Bay losing 5 games by one possession.
With the Jets surrounding themselves with young talent, I think they need to go all in for Lamar Jackson. Long term, Lamar is the best option for New York, because we don’t know how much longer Aaron Rodgers is going to play, let alone at an elite level. Paying Lamar gives that team time to grow, as well as a QB1 for years to come. Especially considering the fact that the AFC is only going to get harder as the years go on, it just makes so much more sense to go the young route.
Top Photo: Packers Wire (USA Today)