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The New York Jets are the football version of an eight-car pileup on the highway. Future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers was supposed to help cure the curse that has burdened the organization for decades, but he only added to it.
Rodgers' Jets tenure is marred by bad luck and disappointment. After the four-time MVP tore his Achilles just four plays into the 2023 season, he looks like a shell of his former self in '24. Not only is it difficult for a 41-year-old to bounce back after a catastrophic injury, but it's also difficult for anybody of that age to excel in the NFL.
Rodgers, who's the oldest active player in the league, has decent numbers this year. The 10-time Pro Bowler has completed 63.1% of his passes for 2,966 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions through 13 games. His yardage total ranks 13th, while he's tied for eighth in touchdowns.
However, Rodgers hasn't passed the eye test. The Super Bowl XLV MVP's been skittish and immobile in the pocket, a far cry from when he would extend plays with his legs and fire deep completions on the run. While he's had flashes of brilliance, such as his domination of the New England Patriots in a 24-3 Week 3 win, he often opts for safe passes to avoid hits.
The advanced stats are more telling. Rodgers' quarterback rating (QBR) is 51.3, good for 25th in the league. QBR, which was invented by ESPN in 2011, uses every detail of the game to measure how the quarterback affects winning and losing, via ESPN Analytics' Brian Burks.
“The intent of Total QBR is to isolate each NFL quarterback's contribution to his team's fortunes as accurately as possible with the data available,” Burks said. “It measures nearly every aspect of quarterback play, from passing to designed runs to scrambles to turnovers to penalties. QBR also strives to separate the performance of the individual quarterback from the rest of his team, all in an effort to rate the overall efficiency of each quarterback in the league.”
It makes sense that Rodgers has a subpar QBR given that the Jets are 3-10 and his lack of big plays in clutch situations. Other than a three-touchdown outing on Halloween against the Houston Texans, the 2005 first-round pick hasn't closed out games against contending teams.
The worst part is that Rodgers is the least of New York's problems. The 20th-year veteran was never a long-term answer at a position that the organization hasn't nailed down since “Broadway Joe” Namath left after the 1976 season. Their real issues lie at the top.
Jets' ownership is chaotic
The Jets have undergone plenty of change throughout their 14-year playoff drought, the largest in North American sports. Their only common denominator throughout this run of futility has been team owner Woody Johnson.
Johnson's penchant for meddling in football affairs has time and again kept New York from success, such as his push to trade for media darling Tim Tebow in 2012 and his decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh after the Jets' 2-3 start this season. Nobody accused Saleh of being the best in the league, but ousting him just five weeks into the year suggests that he should've been done after 2023.
Former Jets defensive coordinator Bill Belichick couldn't hide his disdain for Johnson after the surprise development, via ESPN's ManningCast.
Bill Belichick: "I'm not a big Jets fan, in case you don't know that… I thought Coach Saleh really did a good job with this team… That's kinda what it's been there with the Jets. They've barely won over 30% in the last 10 years. The owner being the owner… ready, fire aim." pic.twitter.com/p0Ek5RCuJg
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 15, 2024
“That's kind of what it's been there at the Jets—barely won over 30 percent in the last 10 years. The owner being the owner, just ready, fire, aim,” the six-time Super Bowl winner said to Peyton and Eli Manning. “I'm not a big Jets fan, in case you don't know that. I like Fireman Ed, but that's it. Coach Saleh did a good job with that program. He brought in a culture, a level of toughness and competitiveness. … I thought Coach Saleh really did a good job with this team and they're probably not that far from winning.”
The club hasn't always been Johnson's biggest priority, either. He served as the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom during Donald Trump's first presidential term, leaving ownership duties to his brother Christopher. Unfortunately for New York's loyal fans, that didn't help either.
Trump, though, did not tap Johnson again for his help this time, via NBC Sports. The beleaguered owner is scheduled to continue business as usual for now, so Jets fans can only hope that he wises up and stays out of football matters.
Jets need a GM and head coach
Saleh wasn't the only in-season casualty, as GM Joe Douglas was given the boot too. The Philadelphia Eagles' former vice president of player personnel went just 30-64 as New York's GM, despite acquiring several talented players like Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, and Quincy Williams. However, he also missed on several premium draft picks, with Zach Wilson at No. 2 overall in 2021 being the biggest blemish.
Now, the Jets have no organizational direction. This was supposed to be their “all-in” year, so there's not much for the fans to look forward to. Presumably, they'll clean house and commit to another rebuild with a new regime, but what does that look like? Will they sell the entire roster for draft picks, including blue-chip players like Wilson? Will they draft another quarterback with a premium pick, or trade down and acquire more picks to fill out the roster?
The picture will clear up over the coming months, but New York will never get out of the abyss until it hits on its GM and head coaching hires.
