New York Jets fans can’t wait to see Aaron Rodgers back on the gridiron. It makes sense, since the 4x NFL MVP got injured after only four snaps in the season opener against the Buffalo Bills. Besides, Zach Wilson‘s lackluster performances only made them miss the veteran quarterback even more.
Though Rodgers’ season seemed to be over when MRI showed he suffered a torn left Achilles, the 39-year-old has reportedly been ahead of schedule in his recovery. In fact, it looks like he could even makes his return this season.
On Monday, Rodgers even made fans think his comeback could be just around the corner. Following the Jets’ loss to the Chargers, the ESPN microphones caught him telling Derwin James he could return in a “few weeks.”
But in his weekly appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers set the record straight. “I didn’t realize that was going to get caught there. That was said a little tongue in cheek there. It’d be nice to be able to be back in a couple weeks. That’s probably not anywhere near a realistic timeline,” Rodgers said. “I said it smiling, joking. He was talking about how he’s excited for me to get back on the field at some point, I joked it would be a few weeks. Obviously going to be more than a couple weeks.”
Aaron Rodgers looks on during a Jets game
The former Packers star said that he feels “a lot more” strength in his Achilles though, but that he’s still “a long way off” from taking the Jets offensive reins again. This is definitely a huge blow for Jets fans, who are not pleased with how Wilson has been playing thus far. To make things worse, Robert Saleh seems to have no intention of benching the third-year quarterback yet.
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Robert Saleh defends Zach Wilson
The Jets couldn’t get things going on Monday night as they suffered a 27-6 loss. Wilson has once again been criticized for the team’s shortcomings in offense, but Saleh said it’s not fair to put all the blame on the quarterback. “Was it his best game? Obviously not,” Saleh said. “Was it his worst game? No, I’m not going to say it was his worst game.”
Wilson completed 33 of 49 passes, throwing for 264 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in the loss to the Chargers. However, his stats this season are not great. In seven starts, the 24-year-old has completed 59.9 percent of his passes (30th) for 1,600 yards (24th), five touchdowns (30th) and five interceptions.
Even so, Saleh believes the Jets’ offensive woes go beyond the quarterback. “It would be one thing if it was just him. It is the easy thing to do, him and the play caller are the two most visible things so when things aren’t good it’s easy to blame them. It’s easy to blame the people who are most visible to the camera. … If it was just him, that would be worth discussing. But this is a collective issue.”
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Garrett Wilson is not happy with the Jets offense
Wide receiver Garrett Wilson has also addressed the Jets’ problems in offense, but he had no intention of hiding his true feelings. “It’s inexcusable, man, and it’s getting to the point where it’s disappointing,” he said, via Rich Cimini of ESPN.
The Jets offense has only eight touchdown drives in 2023, ranking 30th in points per game and 31st in yards per game. The defense, on the other hand, has kept opponents at bay for much of the season, but sometimes it wasn’t enough.
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“I hate coming off the field, looking our defense in the eyes and knowing that we have to send them back out there after three-and-out,” Wilson added. “Them boys are my dogs and they come out and ball. They put us in a great position. It’s time for us to start returning the favor, man. It’s time. We got to figure it out.”
The Jets are 4-4 after nine weeks, so the fear of missing the playoffs for the 13th consecutive season is big. Rodgers will remain on the sidelines for a while, so it seems that the Jets’ hopes will continue to rely on Wilson.
