You might have heard that the New York Jets traded for Aaron Rodgers in the offseason. You also probably heard about Rodgers’ devastating Achilles injury last night, which occurred after just four snaps into his Jets debut and will sideline him for the rest of the NFL season.
An MRI confirmed today that Aaron Rodgers officially tore his Achilles on the fourth play of his Jets’ career.
Rodgers’ season now, officially, is over. There already are questions about whether his Hall-of-Fame career is, too.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 12, 2023
The Jets will now turn to Zach Wilson as their starting quarterback for the foreseeable future. Although he led them to an inspiring win last night against the Buffalo Bills, this is quite the downgrade from the former four-time MVP.
MORE: Are Sportsbooks Refunding Player Prop Bets on Aaron Rodgers After His Injury?
The Jets will be facing a major challenge this week against a Dallas Cowboys team that defeated the New York Giants 40-0 on Sunday Night Football this past week. This was going to be a difficult matchup for them even before Rodgers’ injury, as the Cowboys have an elite defense and ferocious pass rush that could give New York’s offensive line major problems.
The Rodgers injury has already caused the Jets’ Super Bowl odds to take a major hit. But how much of an impact has it had on the betting lines for Jets vs. Cowboys? We take a look at the updated odds following last night’s events.
Jets vs. Cowboys Betting Lines
Before the Jets took their first snap of the regular season, the Cowboys opened as three-point favorites, and the total was 45.5 at DraftKings Sportsbook. Now, the spread has increased by 5.5 points to Cowboys -8.5, and the total has dropped all the way down to 40.5.
This massive shift in the betting lines for Jets vs. Cowboys demonstrates 1) How big of an impact starting quarterbacks have on the spread, 2) How important Rodgers’ presence was for this Jets team, and 3) the talent gap between him and Zach Wilson.
Had the Cowboys not dominated the Giants on Sunday Night Football as they did, perhaps this line would be a little lower. But Zach Wilson and the Jets’ offensive line have their first major test of the season going against this Cowboys pass rush, led by Defensive Player of the Year favorite, Micah Parsons.