When the NY Jets traded for Aaron Rodgers in the spring of 2023, they did so with the expectation that they were acquiring one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history — a quarterback who would instantly return the franchise to relevancy and solidify them as legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
Expectations were sky-high for a Jets team that was touted as one of the most talented in franchise history. Rodgers was expected to be the man to lead the Jets out of the NFL's basement.
Instead, the Jets have once again become the laughingstock of the league, and Rodgers is the ring leader. Rodgers somehow has a worse winning percentage as Jets QB than both of his predecessors, Sam Darnold and Zach Wilson.
The Jets transitioned from one of the worst statistical quarterbacks in modern NFL history to one of the greatest QBs to ever play the sport and unbelievably became a worse football team — and it's not even close.
Jets fans have made their voices clear. They're ready for the Rodgers era to come to an end.
NY Jets are ready to run Aaron Rodgers out of town after another embarrassing loss
Rodgers' final stat line from Sunday's game might not look bad at first glance. The four-time MVP completed 22-of-29 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns in the Jets' Week 11 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He didn't turn the ball over and the Jets scored a season-high 27 points.
But box-score numbers rarely tell the full story. Rodgers plays like a 40-year-old quarterback afraid to get hit and scared of throwing the ball over the middle of the field, mostly because that's exactly what he is at this stage.
The All-22 film will show Jets receivers streaking open downfield. It will show a statue of a quarterback who does his offensive line no favors. It will show a quarterback who is so clearly a washed-up version of one of the greatest of all time.
Rodgers isn't unplayable. He's still wowed fans with a handful of spectacular throws that remind everyone of the glory days. If you squint hard enough, you can still see glimpses of prime Rodgers. But those glimpses are unfortunately few and far between.
The Jets likely aren't going to make any rash decisions midseason. Benching Rodgers in favor of Tyrod Taylor doesn't fix anything, especially given that the team is already effectively eliminated from playoff contention.
But the Jets will have a decision to make in the offseason. Rodgers is still under contract in 2025, but the Jets can cut ties and move on at the cost of a sizable chunk of dead cap. That's exactly what they need to do, however.
Jets fans are fed up and ready for the Aaron Rodgers era to end. The experiment has been a complete and utter failure and will go down as one of the most disappointing QB tenures in NFL history. It's time to face reality — Rodgers is cooked.
