The New York Jets‘ 2023-24 season ended on a good note, a winning one. Their victory over the New England Patriots marked their seventh win of the season, but it also finished off what was a disappointing campaign overall.
A major reason for that disappointment was the injury to Aaron Rodgers. Now, Rodgers is speaking on the Jets building and the need to focus on winning. What did he say?
Aaron Rodgers Tells the Jets To Focus on Winning
Rodgers joined the Jets after 18 seasons with the Packers. Green Bay swapped first-round draft picks with New York and acquired a second-round pick and an early 2024 selection.
However, he went down on just the fourth play of the season with a torn Achilles.
Over the rest of the season, he was replaced by Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle, and Trevor Siemian. None of them could spark the offense, which finished 31st in total offense, scoring just 22 touchdowns on the season.
According to Rodgers, the franchise needs to only focus on winning now to right the ship. “Anything in this building that we’re doing individually or collectively that has nothing to do with real winning needs to be assessed,” said Rodgers. “Flush the Bullsh*t.”
Rodgers wasn’t able to return from his injury in time to play in 2023, but he will play again in 2024. According to Rodgers, he thought it was going to just be a one-year thing but now wants it to be more.
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“I was thinking when I got traded it was gonna be a one-year thing, then I got to the Jets, realized how much fun I was having, fell back in love with the game,” said Rodgers. “I’d like for this to be more than just next year.” Rodgers turned 40 on Dec. 2.
"I'd like for this to be more than just next year." – @AaronRodgers12 pic.twitter.com/3QRXnLQyRw
— New York Jets (@nyjets) January 8, 2024
In his career, Rodgers has passed for 59,055 yards, 475 touchdowns, and 105 interceptions. He has also won the NFL‘s MVP four times and will likely be a Hall of Famer after he retires.
The Jets’ blame for their struggles to win can be almost entirely placed on the offense. While the Jets’ offense was one of the league’s worst, their defense was one of the best. According to FOX Sports, the Jets’ defense ranked third in the NFL in total defense, allowing just 292.3 yards per game and 36 touchdowns the entire season.
The Jets are going to hope Rodgers can fix their offensive issues, as they do have weapons surrounding him. His leading receiver will be Garrett Wilson, who has compiled over 1,000 yards in both of his NFL seasons.
He also will have running back Breece Hall, who has 2,266 yards and 14 touchdowns from scrimmage over his first two seasons.
However, despite the formidable skill-position weapons, the Jets must fix their offensive line. According to Pro Football Focus, Jets left tackle Mekhi Becton and left guard Laken Tomlinson combined for 19 sacks allowed and 21 penalties. If they don’t resolve the issue, Rodgers could very well get injured again in 2024.
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