Over the past few years, the Jets haven’t been looked at as serious contenders. That is until they made the intrepid move to trade for the MVP quarterback out of Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers. Stunning the league with a blockbuster deal, the Jets had to act fast in free agency, scooping up some of Rodgers’ old buddies such as Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb. They didn’t stop there, late in the offseason they managed to sign 4x Pro-Bowler running back Dalvin Cook, who is desperate to compete for a championship ring.
With a solid defense, and what seemed to be a powerhouse offense, the Jets put the league on notice, and they did it fast. Bart Scott with NFL Network seemed to think very highly of this Jets team just days ago on air, responding to sports personality Max Kellerman with confidence in regards to the Jets playoff ability. He called it a severe “understatement” to say that the Jets are Super Bowl contenders.
The hype was built for the season, and the Jets were ready to put on a show to the fans, players, and staff in the NFL and make a bold statement Week 1. The Bills and Jets kicked off at 8:20PM on Monday night at Metlife Stadium, where New York was slated to first receive the ball. The fans watching all over the country had no idea what shock was about to come next. Just 75 seconds into the game, Aaron Rodgers attempts to roll out of the pocket to avoid the pressure and extend the play, when he is sacked awkwardly by Bills defender Leonard Floyd. Immediately you can see Rodgers in discomfort, he stands up and then eventually drops down to the ground and the Jets medical staff rushes onto the field. It was originally thought to be an ankle injury, but after the x-Ray was negative, the team feared the worst- an achilles tear injury. This tragic news was confirmed Tuesday morning after scans were performed on Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers will undergo surgery and miss the entire 2023-24 NFL season. Understandably, this left coaches, fans, and teammates in shambles. Everyone was devastated. Even if you weren’t rooting for the Jets, you gotta feel for the guy and the organization as a whole.
Regardless of the devastating blow the Jets took, they managed to pull out a win against the rusty Bills. Josh Allen threw 3 interceptions all to Jets safety, Jordan Whitehead, which undoubtedly contributed heavily to the New York win. Zach Wilson stepped up to play the rest of the game, where he finished with 14 completions out of 21 attempts, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Fans were rightfully worried when Wilson took the field again, after last season was a disaster with him under center. Although he didn’t put up any crazy numbers or make any highlight reel worthy plays, he managed to lead his team to a victory.
While there may be many question marks among fans regarding the QB situation, there aren’t any for Jets head coach Robert Saleh, “We’re going to roll with Zach Wilson, we have faith in him. This is Zach’s team”, says Saleh in a press conference Tuesday afternoon. While many were pondering the idea of what veteran QB would be best to bring in, it seems as if the Jets have already made their personnel decision. There still could be a possibility of bringing on a veteran free-agent such as Matt Ryan, or trading for a younger but experienced vet such as Sam Darnold, but for now it looks as if the Jets will ride it out with what they have.
It will be interesting to see how Zach Wilson takes control of this team. Will he bounce back from all the adversity and leave his past behind him? I guess we will have to see. But he must know his seat is red hot, and all eyes are on him to lead this team to the playoffs, and possibly even a Super Bowl.
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