The New York Jets' 30-0 no-show loss to the Miami Dolphins made official what has been obvious for several weeks now: the Jets will not be playing postseason football, as all eyes turn to Aaron Rodgers and his potential return to the field.
The Jets fell to 5-9 with the embarrassing road loss, and their miniscule playoff odds evaporated. That makes 13 years in a row without a playoff berth for the Jets, the “longest playoff drought in North American professional sports” courtesy of The 33rd Team's Ari Meirov.
With the playoffs officially off the table, a potential return from Rodgers becomes the only source of intrigue around Gang Green. Whether putting the franchise quarterback on the field again in 2023 makes sense is a matter of debate, even from Rodgers himself.
A Rodgers return?
Rodgers underwent surgery to repair his torn Achilles tendon on September 13th after rupturing it on Monday Night Football two days earlier.
That severe an injury would normally be a season-ending one. But almost immediately after it happened, Rodgers vowed to return to the field before the season's end.
However, Rodgers' determined stance was not without reservation. The quarterback stressed that he would need clearance from Jets team doctors, and he would have to feel as if he could protect himself out on the field.
The other condition Rodgers mentioned? The Jets' playoff chances. When speaking of a potential return, Rodgers emphasized that New York would need to still be in the playoff hunt for him coming back to make sense.
With that condition no longer a consideration, it will be interesting to see if Rodgers still pushes to take the field again this season for a team going nowhere.
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