It would be understandable if future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers had had enough of NFL football. His New York Jets have hit rock bottom.
They’re off to a 3-7 start in their first 10 games of 2024 after their biggest loss of the year, a 31-6 embarrassment against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10. Their offense posted season lows in both points (six ) and total yards (207). Rodgers threw for season-lows in passing yards (151) and yards per pass attempt (4.3). His 4.3 yards per attempt represents the third-fewest yards per attempt in any game of his 20-season career with a minimum of 15 pass attempts. His favorite target, Davante Adams, caught six of his season-high 13 targets for 31 receiving yards, which was the six-time Pro Bowler’s fewest receiving yards in 44 career games with at least 12 objectives. New York’s defense, once its greatest strength, gave up the most yards allowed per play (7.1) and first downs allowed (28) in a game this season.
However, struggles during the Jets’ first 10 games have not impacted their desire to continue playing through 2025.
“Not really, not because of the negative, no. Not really,” Rodgers said Wednesday, via SportsNet New York, when asked if New York’s 3-7 start has altered the way he plays the season. next season.
When asked directly if he still wants to play in 2025, Rodgers had a similarly brief but direct answer.
“I think so, yes,” he said.
No player may have a better window into what drives Rodgers than Adams, who has caught more touchdowns (69) from the mercurial quarterback than anyone else. This is what is driving Rodgers to push forward for at least one more year despite the worst-case scenario to start his 2024.
“He’s accomplished a lot, obviously, but I think he’s driven by not being able to win multiple Super Bowls,” Adams said, via ESPN, on Wednesday. “He has won one, but he has been in situations where he has had the opportunity to almost taste it, almost touch it. Not being able to secure a championship at a higher pace is something that, I won’t say, bothers him, but it has motivated him to move forward at this age.”
Rodgers is in his 20th NFL season, 17th as a starting NFL quarterback and will turn 41 on December 2. With a Super Bowl MVP trophy, four NFL MVP trophies and the best touchdown-to-interception ratio of all time (490-112, 4.38), his legacy is assured as one of the greats of all times. He doesn’t need to continue playing and, like his team, Rodgers himself is also struggling. These 10 games are his worst first 10 games of a season in terms of losses (seven), team scoring offense (17 points per game), passing yards per attempt, passing yards per game (225.8) and passer rating (86.8). .
|
Losses |
7 |
Worst |
|
PPG Team |
17.7 |
Worst |
|
Pass Yards/Attempt |
6.4 |
Worst |
|
YPG Pass |
225.8 |
Worst |
|
TD-INT |
15-7 |
2nd worst |
|
Passer Rating |
86.8 |
Worst |
|
Expected points added/play |
-0.07 |
Worst |
*Min. two games started
Surprisingly, the Jets are the last NFL team this season that has not scored at least 25 points in a game. One hope they can hold on to is that they are just two games behind the Denver Broncos (5-5) for the seventh and final playoff spot in the AFC.
