The New York Jets had very high hopes ahead of the 2023-24 season. However, their dreams were dragged to the ground in the very first game when Aaron Rodgers suffered a major Achilles Tendon injury and was out for the rest of the season.
It was Zach Wilson who had to take charge as the regular starter. Wilson had a troubled season with no positive play and the Jets will be finishing another season with a losing record.
In this context, the fans are hoping for a staunch comeback in the next season, with Aaron Rodgers taking the charge after coming back from injury. Rodgers put a lot of effort into the rehab session and with his strong perseverance, he triggered hope for an early return to the professional league.
It was expected that Rodgers would return by the end of December however; the reality turned out to be different. Rodgers did not return to the field by December and as things stand right now, he is set to come back in the next season.
Nonetheless, not everyone is hopeful that Aaron Rodgers’ comeback will make everything good in the Jets squad. Some analysts even argue that Rodgers’ return can solve only half of the things.
Mike Florio claims that the Jets are one of the weakest teams in the league. Neither their defense nor their offense is made of championship caliber. In the recent episodes of Pro Football’s Talk, analyst Mike Florio argued:
There’s a belief that Aaron Rodgers comes back next year, they run it back and it’ll be fine. … I think everybody’s gotta dial it back next year because this team needs some work.
He further said:
I don’t think it’s just going to be enough to sprinkle Aaron Rodgers in and everything’s going to be fine. Offensive line needs work. Defense, it’s not championship caliber.
Aaron Rodgers has an age issue that cannot be ignored
Apart from his injury concern, Aaron Rodgers has a major issue, and that lies with his age. The quarterback is 40 now and in the next year, he will be 41.
By the end of the next season, he will be close to 41. Maintaining a certain level at that age will be difficult. In addition, Rodgers is in the recovery process from a major Achilles Tendon injury. It gets difficult for a quarterback to play at the finest level at 40 years of age and recovering from a torn Achilles is a separate problem altogether.
In addition, the player’s stats have been declining over the years. His last season with the Packers was pretty ordinary, as he had 26 TDs and 12 interceptions, his second-worst season in terms of getting his passes getting picked. With declining stats and recovering from injury, it would be difficult for him to regain his old MVP form.